U.S. launches 2nd attack against Iraq

September 3, 1996
Web posted at: 11:55 p.m. EDT (0355 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. cruise missiles bombarded military targets in southern Iraq for a second consecutive day Wednesday, the Pentagon announced.

The second attack involved 17 missiles launched from four Navy ships in the Persian Gulf, sources told CNN. It was completed shortly before 9:40 p.m. EDT. (0140 GMT)

CNN's Jamie McIntyre reports the bombing at approx. 9:40 p.m ET (19 sec. 213K AIFF or WAV sound)

President Clinton signed off on additional strikes Tuesday afternoon, Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said.

The Pentagon wanted to return to hit the same targets to make sure they were sufficiently destroyed or degraded, to secure the southern "no-fly zone" for allied planes before Wednesday's expansion northward takes effect, Bacon said.

In the second strike, eight missiles were launched from the destroyer USS Russell, two from the destroyer USS Hewitt, five from the destroyer USS Laboon and two from the submarine USS Jefferson City, according to Pentagon sources.

Clinton justified his decision to send missiles against President Saddam Hussein, whose troops seized control of the northern Kurdish city of Irbil over the weekend, in an alliance with a Kurdish faction.

"Our objectives there are limited but our interests are clear," Clinton said in an address Tuesday night to the National Guard Association in Washington. He spoke before the Pentagon announced the second round of attacks.

"To demonstrate once again that reckless acts have consequences, to reduce Saddam's ability to strike out again at neighbors, to increase America's ability to prevent future acts of violence and aggression," Clinton said in explaining the U.S. actions. (15 sec. /179K AIFF or WAV sound)

The Iraqi president, responding to the initial attack in an address on state-run television, urged his soldiers to "resist these aggressors" and pay no attention to "damned imaginary no-fly zones."

"Once again, the hopeless cowardly Americans were back to repeat their cowardly act hiding behind a technological advance that God, most gracious, wanted it to be their curse and cause for shame," Saddam said earlier Tuesday.

First U.S. attack

The second missile strike was always part of the original plan, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the Iraqi operation.

"It's a cleanup operation," one diplomat said.

In the first attack, the Pentagon sent 27 air and sea-launched cruise missiles packing 40,000 pounds of explosives against at least 14 different targets in four areas, with the idea of disabling Saddam's air defenses. Iraq claimed those missiles killed five people.

The U.S. intent was to allow it and its allies to expand the southern "no-fly zone" northward to the suburbs of Baghdad, effective Wednesday.

Military reconnaissance pictures taken after the first strike clearly showed two targets destroyed and a third damaged, Pentagon sources said. One photo indicated one cruise missile missed an air defense radar system by about 40 feet, although the blast's impact blew the top off the radar.

Larger 'no-fly zone'

The expanded southern "no-fly zone," which like its northern counterpart is off-limits to Iraqi military aircraft, goes into effect Wednesday at noon Iraqi time (4 a.m. EDT, 0800 GMT).

Pentagon sources said Saddam has 43 MiG fighter jets in the newly expanded "no-fly zone" between the 32nd and 33rd parallels that must be moved by that time, or they will be grounded where they are.

"It's a case of move it or lose it," said one military official.

The Iraqi president said his regime no longer would recognize either of the "no-fly zones," which are patrolled by U.S., British and French planes. But the White House responded that Iraq will simply lose more planes and pilots if it tries to interfere.

White House position

U.S. officials said they went after Iraqi positions in the south even though the Iraqi provocation was in the north, against the Kurds, as part of the long-term strategy of containing Iraq.

The White House believes the real regional threat from Iraq remains the same as it was before the Gulf War -- against Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich Gulf states.

White House aides said that in going after selected Iraqi air defenses, Clinton had several goals.

Politically, by expanding the southern "no-fly zone" to the southern suburbs of Baghdad, Clinton wanted to humiliate Saddam, especially among his own troops.

Militarily, by destroying some command and control and anti-aircraft sites in southern Iraq, he wanted to punish Iraq's army and protect U.S. war planes flying over the region.

And economically, by suspending the scheduled resumption of Iraqi oil exports, he wanted Iraqi leadership to suffer, denying them the opportunity to gain hard currency from the outside.

"We are answering in the only language that he (Saddam) understands, the language of force," said Secretary of State Warren Christopher. (18 sec. /204K AIFF or WAV sound)

Global response

The U.N. Security Council met privately Tuesday to discuss the crisis but failed to agree on any response. The 15 members adjourned until Wednesday afternoon. As expected, the assembly did renew economic sanctions against Iraq, which were imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and come up for routine review every 60 days.

Britain offered a draft resolution to condemn Iraq and demand an immediate withdrawal of Iraqi troops from the region. France and Russia -- both permanent council members -- opposed the British proposal.

Saudi Arabia and Turkey both refused to allow military strikes to be launched from their turf, but Vice President Al Gore said allied support is intact.

"We are receiving strong support from allies in many parts of the world," Gore said in an interview with CNN's Larry King. ( 18 sec. /247K AIFF or WAV sound)

Iraqi troops routed the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Irbil over the weekend, and claimed to do so in alliance with the pro-Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

The mass of Iraqi troops then appeared to withdraw in short order from the city, but the White House contends Baghdad is only making a show of leaving Irbil.

Correspondents Wolf Blitzer, Jamie McIntyre and Ralph Begleiter, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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