|
|
U.S. launches 2nd attack against Iraq
September 3, 1996
Web posted at: 10:25 p.m. EDT (0225 GMT)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. cruise missiles bombarded military targets in southern Iraq for a second consecutive day, the Pentagon announced Tuesday night.
CNN's Jamie McIntyre reports the bombing at approx. 9:40 p.m ET
(19 sec. 213K AIFF or WAV sound)The second attack involved 17 missiles launched from four Navy ships in the Persian Gulf, sources told CNN. It was completed Wednesday morning Iraq time (9:40 p.m. EDT Tuesday).
774K QuickTime movie of USS Russell firing missiles Tuesday President Clinton granted authorization Tuesday afternoon for the second strike, said Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon.The Pentagon wanted to return to make sure the Iraqi targets were sufficiently destroyed or degraded, he said.
Clinton justified his decision to send missiles against Saddam Hussein.
"Our objectives there are limited but our interests are clear," Clinton said in an address Tuesday night to the National Guard Association. 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 attacks.
(16 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 round fell short
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.
That is to allow the U.S. and its allies to expand the southern "no-fly zone" north to the suburbs of Baghdad, effective Wednesday.
As of late Tuesday, the Pentagon had just four good reconnaissance pictures from spy satellites because of cloud cover over some targets.
The pictures clearly showed two targets destroyed, and a third damaged. One photo indicated one cruise missile missed an air defense radar by about 40 feet, although the blast's impact blew the top off the radar.
Expanding the southern "no-fly zone"
The expanded "no-fly zone" 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 new 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 the "no fly zones," but the White House responded that Iraq will simply lose more planes and pilots if it tries to interfere.
White House explains 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 long-term 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 ordering the attack, 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 military.
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.
Correspondents Wolf Blitzer and Jamie McIntyre, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
The Strike
Reaction
Before the Strike
Multimedia
Maps & Graphics
Related sites
Additional information from Lexis-Nexis
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.