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U.S. Strikes Back at Iraq NewsMax.com WiresWASHINGTON - Allied aircraft attacked Iraqi missile and communication sites in the no-fly zone in southern Iraq Friday "in response to recent Iraqi hostile" acts, U.S. military officials said. About 50 U.S. and British planes took part in the attack near An Nasiriyah at about 5:30 a.m. EDT, but only about 20 dropped or fired precision-guided bombs and missiles. "Coalition strikes in the no-fly zones are executed as a self-defense measure in response to Iraqi hostile threats and acts against coalition forces and their aircraft," said U.S. Central Command, which is in charge of U.S. operations in the gulf. "If Iraq were to cease its threatening actions, coalition strikes would cease as well." Central Command said the attack force included Navy F-18s and F-14s, and British Falcons and Tornadoes. All aircraft returned safely to their bases. The bases from which the aircraft came were not disclosed for operational concerns, but aircraft are stationed in neighboring countries and aboard carriers. Pentagon sources said three targets were struck: a ground-to-air missile site, a radar facility and a "fiber optics communications" node, all part of Iraq's integrated air-defense system, which was being upgraded. Recently an Iraqi missile, using upgraded capabilities, nearly downed a U.S. U-2 surveillance plane, and the United States warned of retaliation. Pentagon sources cautioned against presuming Friday's raid was the anticipated response to the U-2 attack and said instead it was a response to Iraq's increased efforts to shoot down allied planes enforcing the no-fly strictures imposed after the 1991 Gulf War. The zones are north of the 36th parallel and south of the 33rd parallel, leaving a narrow band of airspace in which Iraqi military aircraft can fly. The zones were established to protect the country's dissident Kurds in the north and Shiite Arabs in the south from hostile acts by dictator Saddam Hussein's troops. Since January, there have been more than 375 incidents of Iraqis tracking patrolling allied aircraft with radar, firing missiles and anti-aircraft guns, Central Command said. Since December 1998, the number of incidents are more than 1,000, with more than 160 incidents of Iraqi aircraft violating the zones. Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved.
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