2001 – With the crew of a U.S. spy plane safely back in the United States, American officials gave their detailed version of what happened when the plane collided with a Chinese fighter on April 1; the United States said its plane was struck by the jet. China maintained that the U.S. plane rammed the fighter.
2002 – Yasser Arafat issued a statement condemning terrorism and planned to meet with Colin Powell the next day. Hamas declared it had no intention of halting attacks.
2003 – In the 26th day of Operation Iraqi Freedom US troops pushed into Tikrit. Marines found 7 missing US troops, including Army Specialist Shoshana Johnson, on the road between Baghdad and Tikrit. Army engineers worked to help restore electricity in Baghdad.
2003 – U.S.-led forces announced the capture of Watban Ibrahim Hasan, a half-brother of and adviser to Saddam Hussein. Watban is one of three of Saddam’s half-brothers (both share the same mother). During his tenure as Interior Minister, he is accused of having overseen the deportations, torture, and executions of hundred of prisoners. Some of those executions were reportedly taped with copies kept at the ministry. Despite his family ties to Saddam and his position, Watban was not thought to be fully trusted by Saddam Hussein. Watban is believed to have been shot in the leg by Uday Husein during a party in 1995. British SAS troops were believed to have orchestrated the capture of Watban Ibrahim Hasan Al-Tikriti near the town of Rabia, on the road between the city of Mosul and the Syrian border, as he was attempting to flee to Syria. He is the 5 of Spades on the Most-Wanted-Deck-of-Cards.
2004 – Pres. Bush defended his Iraq policy, vowed no retreat and conceded the need for UN help in a televised press conference.
2004 – Cuba agreed to buy $13 million in food from American companies and reached a tentative deal for up to $10 million in farm goods from California.
2004 – A 2,500-strong U.S. force, backed by tanks and artillery, pushed to the outskirts of the Shiite holy city of Najaf for a showdown with a radical cleric. One soldier was killed enroute. US forces in Fallujah killed over 100 insurgents.
2009 – The U.S. federal government rescinds travel and gift restrictions to Cuba.
https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/april-13/
