"Within a week we'll have it open for humanitarian flights," he told AFP.

Saddam International Airport has been closed since it was seized by the US Army's Third Infantry Division early this month.

Blount, the senior US military official responsible for Baghdad's civilian infrastructure, including security, water and electricity, said the flights were part of efforts to restore the capital's essential services that will be conducted by the army with other groups.

The groups include the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) headed by retired US army general Jay Garner, the designated civil administrator for post-war Iraq.

"We'll be working with them to ensure the stability of the city," Blount said.

Rebuilding hospital infrastructure along with the complete restoration of electricity remained the priority.

Sergeant Pete McGrew said soldiers had conducted raids on five warehouses and seized "floor to ceiling of boxes and boxes" of medical supplies which had been hoarded up under Saddam's rule.

He said the supplies were in good condition and most had been manufactured in Denmark and Egypt.

"They will be redistributed to the city's hospitals," McGrew said.

SPACE.WIRE