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Iraq consolidates control as U.S. readies response
September 11, 1996
Wen posted at: 7:50 p.m. EDT (2350 GMT)BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Saddam Hussein -- for the first time since the Gulf War -- has gained complete control of all of Iraq, with recent victories by Iraqi-backed forces in the northern region of the country.
This accomplishment, along with Saddam's defiance of recent U.S. missile attacks, has elicited a wave of jubilation in the streets of Baghdad, particularly among merchants squeezed by the international embargo.
That's because the Kurdish north of Iraq is a traditional trading corridor and point of entry for goods coming into the country from Turkey and elsewhere.
Already, taxis are ferrying entrepreneurs between Baghdad and Irbil and drivers said traffic along this route is picking up.
Moreover, there is a broader sense that Iraq's strangled economy will gain some breathing room as the once wayward north is consolidated under Baghdad's control.
Despite a history of brutal suppression of the Kurds, Saddam is now offering amnesty to his old enemies in the north.
And in an attempt to bring normalcy to the battle-scarred region, Iraqi officials began to implement another presidential directive, to allow free travel and trade to Kurdish areas off limits to Iraqis since the end of the Gulf War.
But the situation is volatile and Saddam could lose his recently-won advantages with another attack by the U.S. military.
President Clinton Wednesday strengthened his hand by ordering F-117 stealth fighters to nearby Kuwait and readying additional B-52 bombers.
There is also the prospect that Iraq may lose the oil-for- food deal that it has labored for months to implement through the U.N.
The recent conflict could erode international support for the deal, but there is scant concern about this on the streets of Baghdad.
While angling for economic benefits, Saddam also has tried to improve his public standing by escalating his defiance of the U.S. -- through both rhetoric and deeds.
Iraqi television each night has been announcing a box score of the number of war planes flying over -- and attemps to shoot them down.
The Pentagon Wednesday confirmed that Iraq has targeted U.S. aircraft with surface-to-air missiles. There are also reports that the Iraqi military is working to repair the anti- aircraft sites damaged by the U.S. in last week's missile attacks.
Augmenting last week's threat by Saddam to shoot down Allied war planes patrolling the no-fly zone, an Iraqi military spokesman described the U.S. flights as "a criminal violation."
Also on Wednesday, Baghdad notified the U.N. that it regards routine flights by the Allies as "tantamount to military aggression."
An editorial from a state-controlled Iraqi newspaper scoffed at reports that renewed attacks might be launched against Iraqi targets, adding "American cruise missiles don't scare us."
We will shoot down allied planes at every opportunity.
-- Taha Yassin Ramadan
Iraq's vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan said, "we will shoot down allied planes at every opportunity."
The tough talk follows the successes of the pro-Baghdad Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) that capped a 10-day offensive with the capture of the opposition stronghold of Sulaymaniyah earlier this month.
Thousands of refugees have fled into Iran from the northern fighting. And there are indications that the Iraqi president's offer of amnesty is being taken seriously. Refugees are now returning to Sulaymaniyah, U.N. officials said.
"There is still an enormous amount of tension; people are still nervous," said Gualtiero Fulcheri, U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator. "But there seems to be a movement of them going home."
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