The United States mounted its heaviest air campaign yet in Iraq as ground troops secure some of Iraq's southern territory. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed reporters…

President Bush ordered the seizure of $1.4 billion in Iraqi funds held in U.S. banks, marking only the second time since World War II that the U.S. government has taken ownership of a substantial amount of frozen foreign assets.

U.S. ground forces began an "intense artillery barrage" against Iraqi troops near the Kuwaiti border around 8 p.m. local time (noon EST) on Thursday and, nearly an hour later, launched an invasion into Iraq, news reports from the region said.