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Clinton signs off on military action against Iraq
September 2, 1996
Web posted at: 8:15 p.m. EDT (0015 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Clinton signed a directive Monday approving military and economic means to try to force Iraq to withdraw troops from northern Kurdish areas, sources said. (20 sec. /864K QuickTime movie)
The White House said the U.S. has detected additional "unjustified" Iraqi troops movements toward the northern Iraqi town of Sulaimaniya, and a military strike against Iraq was a foregone conclusion.
"There are lots of things we can do," said White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry. Further details of U.S. actions, including a timetable, were being withheld for security reasons.
Clinton was campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin before returning late Monday to Washington.
Iraqi troops were apparently trying to consolidate the positions of Kurdish forces aligned with Saddam Hussein and to go after those Kurdish groups opposed to him, McCurry said.
U.N. officials reported Iraq had withdrawn from the Kurdish city Irbil in northern Iraq, two days after routing the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and installing their allies the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
But McCurry said the Iraqis were not showing signs of engaging in any militarily significant withdrawal from Irbil despite U.S. warnings.
Iraqi troops in Irbil have executed Kurdish opponents, and there were "extensive" casualties, he said.
Clinton spoke with French President Jacques Chirac and later had an extensive phone conversation with Vice President Al Gore, White House chief of staff Leon Panetta and national security adviser Tony Lake, all of whom were in Washington.
Military intelligence indicated three divisions of Iraqi troops remain outside Irbil, north of the 36th parallel that designates the Iraqi "no-fly zone" marked off by the U.S., France, and Britain according to McCurry.
The situation in Iraq was reviewed Monday in a White House meeting of Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Defense Secretary William Perry, National Security Adviser Anthony Lake and CIA Director John Deutch.
Christopher also spoke by telephone with French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette, and planned to talk with British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkin.
Any U.S. military action would likely involve planes from the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf, as well as the six Navy ships equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles in the Gulf. There are also four B-52 heavy bombers in range, each with eight air-launched cruise missiles.
Pentagon sources said Saudi Arabia has refused to give the United States permission to launch air strikes against Iraq from Saudi bases. But a White House official said "extensive consultations" are still going on with Saudi officials. In addition, Pentagon sources said Washington had not given up on intentions to base additional U.S. warplanes in Jordan, despite a public statement from Amman that it would not allow U.S. planes to be based there.
The United States does have two squadrons of A-10 attack planes in Kuwait, but those planes are not likely to be used in any air strike because they lack the capability of delivering precision-guided munitions.
Iraqi troops leave allies in charge in Irbil
Iraqi troops continued to withdraw Monday from Irbil, but their departure may have little impact since they left their Kurdish allies in charge of the city.
The withdrawal "is not terribly significant because they still have a significant force arrayed around Irbil," McCurry said.
Members of the PUK claimed Monday that Iraqi troops, with the help of KDP members, were committing mass executions in Irbil's streets, and that hundreds had been arrested. No independent confirmation was immediately available.
The 23,000 U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf remained on high alert. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. John Shalikashvili was in the region to talk with U.S. allies about a response.
U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali moved Sunday to delay the start of an oil-for-food deal with Baghdad, saying he was "very much concerned about the deterioration" of the situation in Iraq. Turkey, which had been anticipating the end of the blanket oil embargo against Iraq, said it would appeal the decision.
Sanctions were imposed against Iraq after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990.
Correspondents Jamie McIntyre, Wolf Blitzer and Steve Hurst, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Clinton calls allies seeking advice and consensus - September 1, 1996
- Boutros- Ghali postpones Iraqi oil-for-food deal - September 1, 1996
- Kurds in middle of Mideast tug-of-war - September 1, 1996
- U.S. readies forces in response to Iraqi attack on Kurds - August 31, 1996
- Iraqi troops attack Kurdish rebel stronghold of Irbil - August 31, 1996
- U.S. may send more warplanes to Gulf - August 30, 1996
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