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Blasts from anti-aircraft fire explode over Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- A third round of explosions was seen and heard over Baghdad about 4 a.m. Thursday.

The first anti-aircraft blasts were reported over Baghdad at about 1 a.m. local time (5 p.m. EST Wednesday). CNN nightscope video showed specks of white light flashing through the air, as explosions thundered in the distance.

A second round of explosions began shortly after U.S. President Bill Clinton announced he had ordered a "strong, sustained" series of airstrikes on military and security forces in Iraq, designed to degrade Iraq's ability to develop weapons of mass destruction.

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About 100 cruise missiles were fired from ships and manned fighter bombers in the first wave of the attack against targets in southern and northern Iraq as well as Baghdad, Pentagon sources said.

U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen announced he was ordering an increase in U.S. air and ground forces in the Persian Gulf.

Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Henry Shelton, said the operation employed U.S. Navy aircraft operating from bases on land in the region and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from ships at sea.

Cohen said the campaign is open-ended, with no specific timetable.

"We intend to carry the mission out until such time as we accomplish our set goals," Cohen said.

Clinton said in a televised address that the U.S. attacked before the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins this weekend, to avoid offending the Arab world.

Clinton accused Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein of failing to live up to his commitment to allow unrestricted access to U.N. weapons inspectors.

"We had to act, and act now," he said.

"Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors with nuclear weapons, poison gas or biological weapons," Clinton said from the Oval Office. Clinton said he decided weeks ago to give Hussein one last chance to cooperate. But he said U.N. chief weapons inspector Richard Butler reported that Iraq had failed to cooperate -- and had in fact placed new restrictions on weapons inspectors.

Clinton addresses the nation Wednesday night

"Saddam's deception has defeated their effectiveness," Clinton said. "Instead of the inspectors disarming Saddam, Saddam has disarmed the inspectors."

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the attack, named Operation Desert Fox, was necessary because Hussein never intended to abide by his pledge to give unconditional access to U.N. inspectors trying to determine if Iraq has dismantled its biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs.

"He is a serial breaker of promises," Blair said of the Iraqi president.

Speaking outside his Downing Street residence, Blair said Britain had no quarrel with the Iraqi people and was taking every possible care to avoid civilian casualties.

The U.N. Security Council will hold a formal meeting to discuss the attack on Iraq, at Russia's request. Russia, France and China were opposed to military action.

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Diplomats said the meeting of the 15-nation council would enable members to voice their views on the crisis, but no council action was expected in the form of a resolution or other decision.

Western leaders had conferred about possible military action against Iraq since late Tuesday, when Butler handed over his latest report to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Clinton and Blair had discussed the latest crisis during a phone conversation on Tuesday.

And early Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook warned Iraq that military strikes could come quickly and without warning.

Butler's report discussed events that had taken place since mid-November, when Baghdad last agreed to cooperate fully with U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) inspectors.

"Iraq's conduct ensured that no progress was able to be made in either the fields of disarmament or accounting for its prohibited weapons programs," the report said.

Butler late Tuesday ordered UNSCOM staff out of Baghdad. The entire staff was evacuated before dawn on Wednesday.

"I regret that I had to report the facts yesterday, which is that (unfettered access) had not been given, and we can't adequately do our jobs under these circumstances," Butler told reporters at the United Nations on Wednesday.

"It made logical sense therefore to pull our people out, and we'll see where this goes in the future," he added.

The military strikes -- which came at night -- followed a roughly 14-month period during which Baghdad officials periodically said they would no longer cooperate with the weapons inspectors.

During that time, Baghdad also repeatedly demanded that crippling international sanctions, imposed after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait prior to the Gulf War, be lifted.

The most recent escalation in the ongoing weapons standoff came in early November.

At that time, Western powers threatened military strikes against Iraq. The threat was removed on November 14, when Baghdad agreed to cooperate fully with the weapons inspectors.

But, U.S. and British officials warned Baghdad that future airstrikes could come without warning should Iraqi leadership again refuse to cooperate with UNSCOM.

To back up their threat, Western powers left in place the military might they had positioned in the Persian Gulf, within striking distance of Iraq.

It was that military weaponry that was used on Thursday to conduct the strikes against Iraq.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.