U.S. Bombing Watch

WASHINGTON - American and British warplanes flying multiple missions attacked Iraq air defense facilities after an Iraqi fighter jet penetrated the southern no-fly zone, the U.S. military said Tuesday.

By the Pentagon's count, the bombing Monday brought to 78 the number of days this year that strikes were launched by the U.S-U.K. coalition that for a decade has been patrolling two zones set up to limit operations of President Saddam Hussein's military.

Hostilities in the zones have ebbed and flowed over the years, and the 2002 year-end total of 78 coalition strikes is much higher than the 43 of 2001, but nearly matches the 80 of 2000.

Pentagon officials said the annual numbers give a general idea of activity in the zones, but cautioned that comparisons can be misleading partly because the military has changed the way it counts Iraqi firings, incursions and other hostilities over the years.

The warplanes in Monday's attack used precision bombs, and a damage assessment was under way, said a statement from the command.

The coalition aircraft targeted the sites after Iraqi forces flew a MIG-25 some 110 nautical miles into the southern zone.

At 2:30 p.m. EST Monday, coalition aircraft struck cable repeaters that are part of Iraq's air defense communications system running between Al Kut and Al Basrah and between Al Kut and An Nasiriyah; and at 3:40 p.m. they targeted a mobile radar unit that Iraqis also had moved into the zone, near Al Kut, said U.S. Central Command spokesman Maj. Pete Mitchell.

An Nasiriyah is some 300 miles south of Baghdad and Al Basrah some 200 miles south. Al Kut is about 160 miles southeast of the capital.

Mitchell declined to say how many planes participated in the missions or how many bombs were dropped. A Pentagon official said Navy aircraft flew from the USS Constellation and British and U.S. Air Force planes flew from land bases. He declined to name them, but planes monitoring the northern zone that protects Iraq's Kurdish minority fly out of Incirlik air base in Turkey and those in the south have routinely flown from Kuwait, though officials said recently that Saudi Arabian officials have been allowing U.S. warplanes to fly strike missions from there as well.

Iraq says the U.S. and British patrols violate its sovereignty and its forces frequently shoot at allied pilots in both zones.

Penetrations by Iraqi jets into the zone are less frequent but not uncommon. A week ago, an Iraqi MIG-25 shot down a U.S. Predator drone conducting reconnaissance near Al Kut, U.S. military officials said.

However, Iraqi state-run television appeared to say that ground-based air defenses shot it down.

Before Monday afternoon's multiple strikes, the previous coalition attack in southern Iraq was Sunday, when allies targeted surface-to-air missile sites near Ad Diwaniyah, about 75 miles south of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, Iraq has protested a U.S. airstrike that reportedly killed three Iraqis and wounded 16 others in the nation's south, calling it a material breach to Security Council resolutions.

In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri described the Dec. 26 airstrike as "a barbaric and terrorist act, with a direct participation of the rulers of Kuwait, and it represents a material breach to the Security Council resolutions."

U.S.-British aircraft attack in Iraq no-fly zone

December 30, 2002

WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Aircraft taking part in U.S.-British patrols over southern Iraq on Monday attacked Iraqi air defense facilities, including a mobile radar unit, after the Iraqis flew military aircraft into a "no-fly" zone, the U.S. military said.

It marked the second straight day and the fourth in five days that the Western aircraft attacked Iraqi targets in the southern no-fly zone.

The U.S. Central Command said in a statement from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, that the aircraft used precision-guided weapons to target Iraqi military air defense communications facilities and an air defense mobile radar.

"The coalition targeted the communications facilities after Iraqi forces flew military aircraft into the southern no-fly zone earlier today (Monday)," said Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region. "They struck the mobile radar after Iraqi forces moved it into the southern no-fly zone today. Its presence was a direct threat to coalition aircraft and crews."

Central Command did not specify the kind of aircraft involved in the attacks, nor did it give the locations of the attacks. Central Command said damage assessment is ongoing.

The communications facilities were attacked at about 2:30 p.m. EST (10:30 p.m. local time/1930 GMT), while the mobile radar unit was attacked at about 3:40 p.m. EST (11:40 p.m. local time/2040 GMT), Central Command said.

On Sunday, the Western warplanes attacked Iraqi surface-to-air missile system radar sites south of Baghdad.

CNN reported on Monday that a Predator unmanned aircraft carried out Friday's attack, using a Hellfire missile against an Iraqi communications van. Pentagon officials on Monday declined to identify the aircraft involved in the attack.

Friday's attack came just four days after Iraqi warplanes shot down a Predator that was patrolling the no-fly zone in southern Iraq.

In most of the attacks, U.S. aircraft drop the bombs and fire missiles at ground targets, but British aircraft also participate in many such raids. The U.S. military will not specify which jets actually drop bombs in specific attacks.

The United States and Britain carry out patrols of no-fly zones created after the Gulf War in 1991 in northern and southern Iraq with the stated intention of protecting Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south from the Iraqi military. However, Iraq does not recognize the zones.

Monday's attack was the latest in a lengthy series of tit-for-tat exchanges since the Gulf War. A recent escalation in the number of such incidents has coincided with the U.S. military build-up in the region ahead of a possible war against Iraq to eliminate its alleged banned weapons programs.

The Iraqi government has said the warplanes often strike civilian sites and kill innocent people. The U.S. military says civilians and civilian facilities are never targeted.

Western Warplanes Attack Two Iraqi Radar Sites

December 29, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes Sunday attacked two Iraqi military radar sites after Iraqi forces moved the facilities into the southern "no-fly" zone, the U.S. military said.

The U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region, said Western warplanes used precision-guided weapons to target the Iraqi facilities near Ad Diwaniyah, about 75 miles south of Baghdad.

The air strikes were the first in the southern "no-fly" zone since Friday, and occurred at around 7:40 a.m. EST, Central Command said in a statement. It said coalition forces were still assessing damage from the attacks.

"The coalition executed today's strike after Iraqi forces moved the system into the Southern No-Fly zone," the statement said. "Its presence was a threat to Coalition aircraft."

On Dec. 27, warplanes targeted an Iraqi military air defense command and control system, which supported highly mobile surface-to-air missile systems. The system was located near Al Kut.

The warplanes are part of a U.S.-British operation patrolling no-fly zones set up in northern and southern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites) to protect Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south from the Iraqi military. Iraq does not recognize the zones.

Attacks have increased in recent weeks as the United States has boosted its military presence in the region in case of war against Iraq to eliminate banned weapons programs.

The Iraqi government has said the jets frequently strike civilian sites and kill innocent people. U.S. officials say the jets never intentionally target civilians.

President Bush has made no decision yet on using force against Iraq but the United States has been positioning itself militarily for whatever might be required, Secretary of State Colin Powell told NBC's "Meet the Press" program Sunday

Iraq Says Western Planes Kill Three in South

December 26, 2002

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi military said U.S. and British warplanes killed three people and wounded 16 on Thursday when they bombed civilian targets, including a mosque, in southern Iraq.

In Washington, the U.S. military said the planes attacked Iraqi military command and control facilities after Iraqi aircraft violated the southern "no-fly" zone.

"The evil criminals in the evil American administration and its humble servant Britain added a new crime to their black record against civilization and humanity and the houses of God when their warplanes bombed economic and civilian installations and cities," the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) said. An Iraqi air defense spokesman said in a statement the planes targeted civilian sites in the provinces of Basra and Nassiriyah in the south at 7:40 a.m., killing three people and wounding 16.

He said Iraqi anti-aircraft guns fired at the attacking planes and forced them to return to bases in Kuwait.

INA said the planes bombed a mosque on the outskirts of Nassiriyah city, 375 km (235 miles) south of Baghdad, destroying it. It did not say if there were casualties in the mosque.

The U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region, said Western warplanes used precision-guided weapons to target the Iraqi facilities near Tallil, about 175 miles southeast of Baghdad.

"The coalition executed today's strike after Iraqi military aircraft violated the Southern No-Fly zone," the statement said, adding that coalition forces were still assessing the attack damage.

The warplanes are part of a U.S.-British operation patrolling no-fly zones set up in northern and southern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War to protect Kurds in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attacks by the Iraqi military. Iraq does not recognize the zones.

Attacks have increased in recent weeks as the United States boosts its military presence in the region in case of war against Iraq over its alleged weapons of mass destruction.

The Iraqi government has said the jets frequently strike civilian sites and kill innocent people. U.S. officials say the jets never target civilians.

US Bombs Southern Iraq (AP Headline: Coalition Jets Fire on Two Iraqi Sites)

Assoc. Press

December 20, 2002

CAIRO, Egypt –– U.S. jets fired on two Iraqi air defense sites in the southern no-fly zone Friday after an Iraqi jet entered the restricted air space, the U.S. Central Command reported on its Web site.

The coalition fighters used precision-guided weapons on the targets near An Nasiriyah, 300 miles, and Al Basrah, 200 miles south of Baghdad.

The last strike by U.S. jets was on Wednesday when they hit an Iraqi air defense radar site south of Al Kut.

U.S. and British planes have patrolled the no-fly zones over northern and southern Iraq since the end of the Gulf War in 1991. The zones were established to protect Iraqi Shiites in the south of the country and Kurds in the north.

U.S. fires on Iraqi defences

CBC News (Canada)

December 18, 2002

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military says American and British warplanes fired on air defences in southern Iraq on Tuesday.

The Pentagon says it happened after Iraqi forces moved a mobile radar system into the 'no-fly' zone.

The U.S. Central Command says the aircraft used precision-guided weapons on the equipment located about 100 kilometres southeast of Baghdad.

It is the fourth attack in five days on Iraqi air defence sites by planes monitoring the zone.

Western Jets Attack Southern Iraq Air Defenses

Dec 16, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American and British warplanes attacked air defenses in southern Iraq for the third successive day on Monday in response to attempts to shoot down the planes policing a "no-fly" zone, the U.S. military said.

The U.S. Central Command said in a release from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, that the warplanes dropped precision bombs on a military communications site south of Al Kut, approximately 100 miles southeast of Baghdad.

The Western warplanes on Sunday also attacked an Iraqi mobile radar and a cable relay communications target in the southern no-fly zone, the Central Command said. On Saturday, warplanes hit multiple communications facilities.

Monday's attack occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Iraq time,, the command said.

"The coalition executed today's strike after Iraqi artillery fired on coalition aircraft," it said, adding that a mobile air-defense radar was also in the area of the strike.

The tit-for-tat exchanges in no-fly zones of both northern and southern Iraq have gone on since the 1991 Gulf War but have increased sharply since last summer as the United States has organized a military buildup ahead of a possible invasion of Iraq.

Iraq does not recognize the no-fly zones, set up after the Gulf War to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attack by Iraqi forces.

Baghdad has charged the jets often strike civilian sites and kill innocent people, but U.S. officials say the jets never intentionally target civilians

U.S., British Warplanes Strike Southern Iraq Again

Dec 15, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes attacked Iraqi air defense facilities on Sunday after Iraqi artillery fired at allied aircraft patrolling the "no-fly" zone in southern Iraq, the U.S. military said.

The allied warplanes used precision-guided weapons to target an Iraqi mobile radar and cable repeater sites, the U.S. Central Command said from the MacDill Air Force base in Florida. The targets were near An Nasiriyah, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, and Al Basra, 245 miles southeast of Baghdad and occurred at about 4:30 a.m. EST.

"The coalition executed today's strike after Iraqi surface-to-air artillery fired on coalition aircraft, and (because of) the presence of the mobile radar in the southern no-fly zone," Central Command said in a statement.

It was the second successive day that allied aircraft had attacked Iraqi air defense facilities in the southern "no-fly" zone, following Saturday's raid on Iraqi military air defense communications facilities.

U.S. and British warplanes made three raids in the first four days of December and another on Dec. 10.

So far this year, Iraqi air defense forces have fired at U.S. and British aircraft more than 470 times and violated the southern no-fly zone on 13 separate days.

The latest attacks came as U.N. arms inspectors continued a new round of inspections of Iraqi sites under a U.N. resolution ordering Baghdad to prove it has given up any chemical, biological and nuclear arms programs.

The United States has said it could launch a military invasion of Iraq if President Saddam Hussein does not comply with the order to disarm.

The tit-for-tat exchanges have gone on since the 1991 Gulf War but have increased sharply in recent months as the United States has organized a military buildup ahead of a possible invasion of Iraq.

The U.S. military says allied air-strikes in the no-fly zones are a self-defense measure in response to Iraqi hostile threats and acts against coalition forces and aircraft.

Iraq does not recognize the no-fly zones, set up after the Gulf War to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attack by Iraqi forces.

Baghdad has charged the jets often strike civilian sites and kill innocent people, but U.S. officials say the jets never intentionally target civilians.

US/Britain strike Iraqi communications sites (CNN Headline: "Coalition Forces strike Iraqi communications sites")

December 14, 2002

(CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition aircraft hit Iraqi air-defense communication facilities Saturday southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, responding to what the U.S. military termed "hostile threats and acts" against patrols over the southern "no-fly" zone.

Operation Southern Watch aircraft struck three facilities, the U.S. Central Command said: near Al Kut, about 100 miles southeast of the Iraqi capital; Qal'at Sukkar, about 170 miles southeast of Baghdad; and Al Amarah, about 165 miles east-southeast of the city.

The attacks took place about 1 a.m. EST, and all the coalition aircraft returned safely, U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Pete Mitchell said.

There was no immediate response from Iraq.

Without a specific United Nations resolution, U.S. and British aircraft have enforced no-fly zones -- which Iraq does not recognize -- over northern and southern Iraq since the end of the Persian Gulf War in 1991 to protect Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south from possible attacks by the Iraqi government.

Iraqi officials insist that the zones violate the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Baghdad refuses to recognize them.

Since December 1998, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has challenged the enforcement by firing at coalition aircraft with surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery, and by targeting them with radar, Central Command said.

As of September, the Pentagon had counted more than 130 incidents of Iraqi surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery fire directed against coalition aircraft this year.

U.S., British Jets Attack Iraq Air Defenses

December 10, 2002

By Saul Hudson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes on Tuesday attacked an anti-aircraft missile system in a "no-fly" zone in southern Iraq in the first such raid in a week against Iraqi air defenses, the U.S. military said.

Responding to "Iraqi threats against coalition aircraft," warplanes bombed a mobile surface-to-air missile system south of Al Amarah, approximately 165 miles southeast of Baghdad, the U.S. Central Command said from the Macdill Air Force base in Florida.

The military was evaluating the damage from the attack that occurred at approximately 2 p.m. in the zone, the statement said. giving no details.

After three raids in four days at the start of the month, Tuesday's strike was the first since Dec. 4 when the United States bombed elements of an air defense system in a no-fly zone in the north of the Gulf nation. U.s. military officials said the attack was made after Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft guns at jets policing the zone.

The tit-for-tat exchanges have gone on since the 1991 Gulf War but have increased sharply in recent months as the United States has organized a military buildup within striking distance of Iraq ahead of a possible invasion of Iraq.

The latest air strike was the first since Iraq met a U.N. deadline last weekend to present the world body with a formal declaration of its weapons programs in accordance with a new U.N. resolution.

The attack also came as U.N. arms inspectors continued a new round of inspections of Iraqi sites under the resolution ordering Baghdad to prove it has given up any chemical, biological and nuclear arms programs.

The United States has said it could launch a military invasion of Iraq if President Saddam Hussein does not comply with the order to disarm.

Some U.S. officials have suggested Iraqi aggression against U.S. jets patrolling the zones could be a breach of the new U.N. resolution.

Iraq does not recognize the no-fly zones, set up after the Gulf War to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attack by Iraqi forces.

Baghdad has charged the jets often strike civilian sites and kill innocent people, but U.S. officials say the jets never intentionally target civilians.

U.S., British Jets Again Attack Iraq Air Defenses

December 4, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes on Wednesday attacked targets in a "no-fly" zone in northern Iraq in the third such raid in four days against Iraqi air defenses, the U.S. military said.

Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft guns at jets policing the zone from sites about 15 miles northeast of Mosul and warplanes responded by dropping precision guided bombs on elements of the air defense system, the U.S. European Command said in a statement from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.

The statement gave no further details except to say that all aircraft departed the area safely.

Two similar raids were conducted on Sunday and Monday in northern and southern no-fly zones of Iraq in response to firing from the ground, according to the U.S. military. The tit-for-tat exchanges have gone on since the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites) but have increased sharply in recent months as speculation has grown about a possible U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The latest air strike came as U.N. arms inspectors continued a new round of inspections of Iraqi sites under a recently passed U.N. resolution ordering Baghdad to prove that it has given up any chemical, biological and nuclear arms programs.

The United States has warned that it could launch a military invasion of Iraq if President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) does not comply with the order to disarm.

Iraq does not recognize the no-fly zones, set up after the Gulf War to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attack by Iraqi forces.

Baghdad has charged that the jets often strike civilian sites and kill innocent people, but the Pentagon says that the jets never intentionally target civilians.

Iraq earlier complained to the United Nations over what it called Sunday's Western air raid on civilian targets in its southern port city of Basra, and urged the world body to end U.S. and British patrols over the country.

Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, in a letter to U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan described Sunday's raid as part of a "barbaric terrorist aggression" against Iraq.

U.S. Warplanes Bomb Air Defense Site in Northern Iraq After Being Fired Upon by Iraqi Forces

ABC News

ANKARA, Turkey Dec. 2 — U.S. warplanes bombed an air defense site in northern Iraq on Monday after being fired upon by Iraqi forces while patrolling a no-fly zone, the U.S. military said.

The U.S. European Command based in Stuttgart, Germany, said Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery at coalition planes near the northern city of Mosul.

"Coalition aircraft responded in self-defense to the Iraqi attacks by dropping precision guided munitions," the statement said.

Iraq considers the patrols, set up following the 1991 Persian Gulf War, a violation of its sovereignty and frequently shoots at the American and British planes. The no-fly zones were set up over southern and northern Iraq to protect the Kurdish and Shiite Muslim minorities.

The planes enforcing the northern no-fly zone are based at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey.

Also Monday, U.S. aircraft dropped 240,000 leaflets over communications facilities in southern Iraq, about 100-150 miles southeast of Baghdad. The sites, between the cities of Al Kut and An Nasiriyah, were damaged by U.S. airstrikes Sunday.

Two of the leaflet messages urged the Iraqi military not to repair the communications facilities, while a third warned that Iraqi firing on U.S. and British aircraft flying over southern Iraq could trigger more allied attacks.

It was the sixth leaflet drop in the last two months over southern Iraq.

Published on Sunday, December 1, 2002 by Agence France Presse

Deadly US/British Raid on Basra Overshadows Arms Inspections

UN experts visited a crop-spraying facility and factories for missile casings and aircraft engines on a fourth day of arms inspections overshadowed by a Western air raid that killed at least eight Iraqis.

Still from Iraqi television shows unidentified Iraqi military officials looking at a damaged area in Basra, southern Iraq December 1, 2002. Western warplanes hit an oil company office block in Basra in southern Iraq on Sunday, killing four people and wounding 27, an Iraqi military spokesman said. REUTERS/TV

Twenty more people were injured when warplanes bombed the premises of the Southern Oil Company in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, residents told AFP by telephone Sunday.

The raid came as Baghdad accused Britain and the United States of looking for any pretext for war despite the successful relaunch of UN disarmament checks last week.

Journalists were kept out as a team from the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) toured the crop-spraying facility run by the agriculture ministry in this town some 25 kilometres (15 miles) south-east of the capital.

Inspectors parked a four-wheel drive across the entrance to prevent anyone else from going in or out.

Several light aircraft with crop-dusting equipment could be seen around a courtyard among numerous single-storey buildings.

Before the 1991 Gulf war, the centre housed a secret project on the "Zubaidi system" using light aircraft and helicopters to deliver chemical or biological agents as weapons.

Iraq finally admitted to the United Nations in 1995 to having run a bacteriological weapons programme and went on to detail aerosol dispersion techniques.

Baghdad says the equipment involved has been destroyed and the programmes halted, however weapons inspectors have not accepted that Iraq has disclosed all its germ warfare activities.

Britain has alleged that Iraq still possesses the capacity to deliver weapons via crop-spraying techniques.

A second team of experts meanwhile visited the bin Firnass and al-Quds plants in the huge al-Taji compound northeast of the capital, both of which have been involved in the production of the Samud short-range missile, which UN rules still allow Baghdad to possess.

"We gave the inspectors every assistance and answered all their questions," bin Firnass director Brahim Hussein told reporters after the inspection.

Al-Quds director General Khaled Atallah Aboud said his plant had only worked on short-range missiles since 1992 but had not been able to produce a single one because of a lack of electronic components.

It was unclear whether the visits conducted Sunday were no-notice inspections or visits to restore monitoring equipment left by the previous UN mission withdrawn in 1998.

UN spokesman Hiro Ueki acknowledged Saturday night that Iraqi officials were told in advance about two of the visits earlier in the day so they could help with the repair of surveillance gear.

Sunday's inspections were overshadowed by the Western air raid on Basra, the latest in a series of escalating clashes between Iraqi air defences and British and US warplanes patrolling no-fly zones in the south and north.

Between 600 and 700 employees were in the oil company premises when two Western rockets hit at 11:00 am (0800 GMT), slightly injuring many passers-by with shards of glass in addition to the 20 more seriously wounded, residents said.

Baghdad, which refuses to recognize the air exclusion zones enforced by London and Washington since after the 1991 Gulf war, regularly accuses the allied planes of targeting civilian facilities.

The ruling Baath party's daily Ath-Thawrah accused the Anglo-Saxon allies Sunday of "becoming more aggressive" since the relaunch of the UN disarmament process.

"Their aim is not to verify that Iraq no long has these weapons but to find any excuse to attack," the paper said Sunday.

"The UN teams have found nothing in recent days and will find nothing in coming days."

Resolution 1441 adopted by the Security Council on November 8 resolution gives UN inspectors unprecedented powers to search for the forbidden arms Baghdad strongly denies having.

Inspectors from UNMOVIC and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have not reported anything untoward from the site checks completed on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Western planes hit Iraq sites in no-fly zone, Iraq claims one person killed. Leaflets warning Iraqis dropped in southern areaThursday, November 28, 2002 INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (CNN) -- U.S.-British coalition aircraft bombed Iraqi air-defense sites in the northern no-fly zone Thursday in response to anti-aircraft fire, officials said. Meanwhile, coalition planes dropped leaflets in the southern no-fly zone warning the Iraqis not to repair damaged air defense sites.

In the northern zone, coalition patrols attacked sites south of Tall Afar after the Iraqis fired at the planes, said Capt. Sarah Kerwin of the coalition's Combined Task Force. All aircraft returned safely to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, Kerwin said.

In the southern no-fly zone, 360,000 leaflets fluttered to the ground between Al Kut and Al Basrah, 100 to 150 miles southwest of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, according to Maj. Pete Mitchell at U.S. Central Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The leaflets were dropped in the area of unmanned communication facilities that were hit by coalition airstrikes Friday, Mitchell said. Some leaflets, written in Arabic, warned the Iraqi military not to repair the facilities, which were used to track and engage coalition no-fly zone patrols. Other fliers said that the no-fly zone enforcement protects Iraqis and warned that airstrikes could follow any threats on coalition aircraft. The leaflet drop was the fifth in the southern no-fly zone in the past two months.

The no-fly zones, designed to protect Kurds in northern Iraq and Shiites in the southern part of the country from the Iraqi regime, have been a bone of contention between the U.S.-British coalition and Iraq since they were established after the Persian Gulf War in 1991 -- without a specific U.N. resolution. Iraqi officials insist that the zones violate the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and they refuse to recognize them. U.S. officials have cited U.N. Resolution 1441 -- the latest disarmament resolution -- to back up the no-fly zones and coalition response to hostile activity from the Iraqis. The resolution says in part, "Iraq shall not take or threaten hostile acts directed against any representative or personnel of the United Nations ... [or] any member state taking action to uphold any [U.N. Security Council] resolution." White House officials have said continued attempts by Iraq to target coalition aircraft amount to a "material breach" of the resolution that the U.N. Security Council passed November 8 calling for Iraq to disarm. But U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said that the attacks did not constitute a material breach.

Beginning in December 1998, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein began challenging the coalition enforcement by firing surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery, and targeting them with radar, according to the U.S. European Command.

Central Command said that the Iraqis have fired on coalition aircraft more than 130 times so far this year.Iraq says U.S., British bombing kills civilian.Assoc. Press Nov. 28, 2002 BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and British warplanes attacked a "civilian and services" installation in northern Iraq on Thursday, killing one civilian, the official Iraqi News Agency said. A coalition statement said planes dropped precision-guided bombs after being fired on by anti-aircraft artillery. The statement from the U.S.-led Operation Northern Watch headquarters in Turkey said the artillery fire came from sites south of Tall Afar, a town in the Nineveh province. It said all aircraft left the airspace safely.

Western Planes Again Strike Southern Iraq

November 23, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Western planes bombed a mobile radar system in southern Iraq on Saturday, continuing the recent "spike" in skirmishes in the no-fly zone, the U.S. military said.

Reuters Photo

The most recent strike, at about 6 a.m. EST, hit facilities located south of Al Amarah, about 165 miles southeast of Baghdad.

"Today's strike came after Iraq moved the mobile radar into the southern no-fly zone. The radar provides tracking and guidance for surface-to-air missile systems that can target coalition (U.S. and British) aircraft," the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

The statement said the strike was a "self-defense measure" in response to "Iraqi hostile threats and acts" but gave no indication that Iraqi forces had actually fired on U.S. and British aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq.

It said the last strikes in the southern no-fly zone occurred on Nov. 22 against unmanned communication facilities, also near Al Amarah.

U.S. officials have said that continued firing by Iraqi defenses at U.S. and British jets patrolling the no-fly zones was a direct violation of the Nov. 8 U.N. resolution on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

President Bush, who advocates "regime change" in Baghdad, has said that if Iraq is found in to be "material breach" of the U.N. resolution -- aimed at forcing Iraq to disarm -- the Gulf state would face "severe consequences."

But U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and most of the international community disagree that Iraqi attacks on U.S. and British planes in the no-fly zone would constitute a "material breach."

Since Nov. 8, Iraqi air defenses have fired on Western planes on at least 11 days in the south and two days in the north, according to a Pentagon count.

The zones, created by Western allies after the 1991 Gulf War, are not recognized by Baghdad.

U.S. Warplanes Hit Targets in Iraq for Third Day

November 22, 2002

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes hit targets in southern Iraq for the third successive day on Friday, Iraqi and U.S. military officials said, as Washington continued a build-up for possible war against Baghdad.

An Iraqi military spokesman said the planes attacked "civilian and service installations" in Basra province southeast of Baghdad and said the planes were driven off by Iraqi anti-aircraft fire.

A statement from the U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military action in the region, said planes monitoring a no-fly zone over the southern section of the country bombed "unmanned communications facilities" south of Al Amarah.

It said the strike occurred at 6:30 a.m. EST after an Iraqi military jet flew into the no-fly zone.

The United States, backed up by a U.N. resolution, has threatened "serious consequences" against Iraq unless it ends nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and has built up its forces in the Gulf. Baghdad denies it has such weapons.

U.S. planes, aided by British aircraft, have frequently hit ground targets since no-fly zones were set up in north and south Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War, but such attacks have increased in recent months.

The Iraqi military spokesman, quoted by the official Iraqi News Agency, said: "At 10:30 a.m. today, U.S. and British planes violated our air space, carrying out 57 sorties from bases in Kuwait, flying over Qalat Saleh, Qurna, Samawa, Salman, Nasiriya, Najaf, Basra..." the Iraqi spokesman said.

"The planes attacked our civilian and service installations in Basra province," he said. No casualties were reported.

Iraq's anti-aircraft and missile batteries fired at the aircraft, forcing them to return to their bases, he added.

The flight exclusion zones were set up to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from attack by President Saddam Hussein's military after the war.

Iraq does not recognize the zones and frequently accuses the jets of causing civilian casualties.

U.S. officials say continued firing at Western patrol jets by Iraqi defenses is a direct violation of the November 8 U.N. resolution which set up a mechanism to dismantle any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has disagreed with that interpretation, saying Iraq's firing on the aircraft did not violate the resolution.

Western Planes Bomb Targets in Southern IraqThu Nov 21, 1:45 PM ET BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes bombed two air defense radar sites in southern Iraq on Thursday in the latest of a series of strikes in the no-fly zones, the U.S. military said. Iraq said the planes were driven off by anti-aircraft fire in the second consecutive day of Western strikes. The Western warplanes first struck a radar near Ash Shuaybah about 245 miles southeast of Baghdad at 4:20 a.m. EST. Then they bombed a radar near Tallil, about 170 miles southeast of Baghdad about 6:30 a.m. EST, U.S. Central Command said. U.S. defense officials said the strikes were in retaliation for Iraqi air defenses attacking U.S. and British planes that patrol no-fly zones in southern and northern Iraq. "They responded to Iraq moving a surface-to-air missile battery into the southern no-fly zone," said Lt. Col. Dave Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman. An Iraqi military spokesman, quoted by the official Iraqi News Agency, said Western planes bombed "civilian and service installations" in the provinces of Thi Qar and Basra, southeast of Baghdad. Thursday's strike came after U.S. and British warplanes bombed three air defense communications facilities in southern Iraq on Wednesday in response to Iraqi missile attacks. Iraq does not recognize the flight exclusion zones set up by Western powers after the 1991 Gulf War to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from attack by President Saddam Hussein's military. U.S. officials say that continued firing at Western patrol jets by Iraqi defenses is a direct violation of the Nov. 8 U.N. resolution, aimed at ridding Iraq of any nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) has disagreed with that interpretation, saying Iraq's firing on the aircraft did not violate the resolution. The United States accuses Iraq of amassing weapons of mass destruction and has threatened military action to force disarmament if it does not cooperate with U.N. arms inspectors who resumed work in the country this week after a four-year absence.

Western Planes Strike Southern Iraq

Wed Nov 20, 4:02 PM ET

By Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Western planes bombed three air defense communications facilities in southern Iraq on Wednesday after Iraqi air defenses fired missiles, extending the recent "spike" in skirmishes in the no-fly zones, the U.S. military said.

The most recent strikes at about 6 a.m. EST hit facilities between Al Kut, about 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, and Basra, about 245 miles southeast of Baghdad.

"With regard to the recent level of activity I would characterize it as a spike rather than a pattern," said Rear Adm. David Gove, deputy director for global operations.

Since Nov. 8, Iraqi air defenses have fired on Western planes in nine days in the south and two days in the north, Gove said.

"It is a material breach. The resolution says that they shall not take hostile action against any member state, so we believe it is a material breach," Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke told a media briefing.

U.S. and British warplanes patrol "no-fly" zones over southern and northern Iraq and the last strike in the south was on Monday. The zones, created by Western allies after the 1991 Gulf War, are not recognized by Baghdad.

The U.S. military said Wednesday's strike came after Iraqi air defenses fired surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery at Western jets.

"It really is stunning," Clarke said. "These planes are being fired upon and attacked regularly ... the seriousness of it cannot be underestimated."

Pentagon officials said it was difficult to gauge what impact the Western strikes against Iraqi air defenses had on Baghdad's overall capabilities.

"We know we've been degrading some of their capabilities, to what extent and how much, some of that is hard to say," Clarke said. "We know we have had some success, we also know in some cases they've been able to rebuild things."

But Clarke reiterated that a decision had not been made to go to war against Iraq.

"I don't know of anything that is inevitable," she said. "The president hasn't made any decisions about military action. What he is heavily focused on right now is the international pressure on (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein, and if and when he and others decide military action is appropriate, I am absolutely confident that we will not be alone."

US Bombs Northern and Southern Iraq

November 18, 2002 by Robert Burns, AP Military Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - For the second day in a row, allied warplanes patrolling a no-fly zone in northern Iraq came under fire from anti-aircraft artillery and responded by bombing near the city of Mosul, U.S. officials said. Also, U.S. planes bombed three sites in southern Iraq after Iraqi air defense units fired multiple surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery at the planes. Separately, the U.S. Central Command said U.S. planes dropped 120,000 leaflets Sunday near the town of Ar Rumaythah, in southern Iraq. They warn the Iraqi military to stop firing on U.S. and British planes patrolling the southern no-fly zone. It was the fourth leaflet drop in the last eight weeks in the region. One of the leaflets warned Iraqi air defense forces: "Beware: Do not track or fire on coalition aircraft." The back of the leaflet read: "The destruction experienced by your colleagues in other air defense locations is a response to your continuing aggression toward planes of the coalition forces. No tracking or firing on these aircraft will be tolerated. You could be next." Previous leaflet drops had been near the southern cities of Tallil, Basra and As Samawah. In another act of defiance of the no-fly zone patrols, an Iraqi fighter jet on Monday flew south across the 33rd parallel, penetrating about 50 miles into the southern zone, a senior defense official said. There were no American or British fighter jets close enough to respond before the Iraqi jet left, the official said. Another Iraqi aircraft flew into the northern no-fly zone Monday, the official said, without provoking a U.S. response. The U.S. airstrikes in southern Iraq on Monday targeted an air defense communications facility near Tallil and an air defense radar and communications facility near Al Kut. Both locations are southeast of Baghdad and have been frequent targets of U.S. bombs in recent months. Tallil is an air defense hub for southern Iraq. Iraqi aircraft occasionally fly into the northern or southern zones, but more often Iraqis have fired anti-aircraft artillery or surface-to-air missiles at U.S. and British planes enforcing the zones. At the White House, spokesman Scott McClellan sa id Monday the Iraqi firing on coalition aircraft "appears to be a violation" of the United Nations resolution on Iraq. He said the U.N. resolution "does give us that option to refer this violation to the Security Council for discussion." Asked whether the administration would do that, McClellan replied, "We have that option." He added, "Our planes will continue to respond when fired upon." In announcing Monday's action in northern Iraq, the German-based U.S. European Command said coalition planes used precision-guided weapons to target Iraqi air defense systems, but it provided no specific location. A similar exchange happened Sunday. The European Command statement said all planes used in the operation returned safely to their base. The planes operate from Incirlik air base in southern Turkey. Iraq considers patrols of the northern and southern no-fly zones a violation of its sovereignty and frequently shoots at them. The hostilities have been going on for years but are being watched more closely since Washington has vowed to force President Saddam Hussein to disarm

U.S., British Jets Bomb Southern Iraq 'No-Fly' Zone

By Charles Aldinger

November 15, 2002

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes bombed an air defense communications center in southern Iraq on Friday night after Iraqi forces fired artillery and missiles at the jets patrolling a "no-fly" zone in the south, the U.S. military said.

Pentagon (news - web sites) officials said Iraq has continued to try to shoot down the aircraft policing no-fly zones over northern and southern Iraq, even after Baghdad agreed last week to accept U.N. arms inspectors under a new Security Council resolution ordering the country to give up weapons programs.

The U.S. Central Command based in Tampa, Florida, said the jets attacked an air defense communications center near an-Najaf, about 85 miles southeast of Baghdad just before 11 p.m. in Iraq.

All aircraft left the area safely and damage to the ground target was being assessed, the command said.

"Today's strike came after Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles at coalition aircraft," the announcement said.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld suggested last week that if the Iraqis continued to fire at the warplanes, it would constitute a violation of the new U.N. resolution. But he was not specific on what that would mean, despite threats from President Bush (news - web sites) to invade Iraq if President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) does not end nuclear, chemical and biological arms programs.

The number of incidents involving U.S. and British air patrols over no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq has risen sharply in recent months as speculation has grown that the United States could launch an invasion to topple Saddam.

The warplanes have attacked Iraqi air defenses in the zones 57 times this year. Forty-four of those attacks have come in the southern zone.

Iraq does not recognize the zones, set up after the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites) to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from attack by Saddam's military.

The most recent strike before Friday's was last Sunday, when American and British warplanes bombed anti-aircraft missile sites in the southern zone.

Those jets used precision-guided weapons to target two surface-to-air SAM missile sites near Tallil, approximately 175 miles southeast of Baghdad, according to the Central Command.

US, British Jets Bomb Targets in Southern Iraq

Wed Nov 6, 2002

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Western warplanes bombed targets in southern Iraq on Wednesday, Iraqi and U.S. military authorities said.

The U.S. Central Command said from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, that U.S. and British warplanes bombed two anti-aircraft missile sites and a military command post in a southern "no-fly zone" of Iraq in response to continued attempts to shoot down patrolling aircraft.

It said the attacks were against missile batteries near al Kut, 100 miles southeast of the capital Baghdad, and an air defense command and control facility near Tallil, 155 miles southeast of Baghdad.

An Iraqi military spokesman, quoted by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA), said U.S. and British planes bombed "civilian installations" in the provinces of Wassit and Dhi qar. Kut is in Wassit province.

Iraqi and U.S. military authorities gave different times for the bombings -- Central Command said the attacks were launched at about 2:30 p.m., while Baghdad said they took place at 12:25 p.m. on Wednesday.

All aircraft left the area safely and damage to the targets was being assessed, according to Central Command, responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East and Gulf.

The Iraqi spokesman said Iraqi forces opened fire at the planes, forcing them to return to their bases in Kuwait.

Iraq does not recognize the zones, set up after the 1991 Gulf War to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from attack by Saddam's military.

Iraq accuses Western patrols of attacking civilian targets and killing innocent people. Washington and London deny the charge.

The warplanes have attacked Iraqi air defenses in the zones 54 times this year. Forty-one of those attacks have come in the southern zone.

Allies Bomb North Iraq No-Fly Zone

Wed Oct 30, 9:22 AM ET

ANKARA, Turkey (Assoc. Press) - Allied warplanes bombed Iraqi defense systems in the northern no-fly zone over Iraq Wednesday after being fired upon during routine patrols, the U.S. military said.

The planes used precision-guided weapons to target Iraqi air defense systems, the Stuttgart, Germany-based U.S. European Command said. There was no further information on the targeted sites. The Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft weapons at the planes.

U.S. and British aircraft patrol the northern no-fly zone. The U.S. warplanes usually fly fighter and bombing mission while the British fly reconnaissance missions. The military statement did not specify if U.S. warplanes carried out the attack.

None of the planes, which are based at Incirlik air base, in southern Turkey, was hit, it said.

Iraq considers patrols of the northern no-fly zone — and of another one in the south of Iraq — a violation of its sovereignty and frequently shoots at the patrols.

The hostilities have been going on for years but are being watched more closely since Washington has vowed to oust President Saddam's Hussein's regime.

US Drops Leaflets, Iraqis Warned Not to Fire on Allies

Mon Oct 28, 3:02 PM ET

Assoc Press

WASHINGTON - For the second time in a month, allied aircraft dropped leaflets over southern Iraq to warn Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s military not to fire on U.S. and British warplanes.

"Before you engage coalition aircraft, think about the consequences," says one version of the Arabic leaflets.

The front depicts an Iraqi soldier shooting at an aircraft, and the back showed the soldier surrounded by smoke and shrapnel from a retaliatory allied strike. Another picture on the back depicts an Iraqi woman and children.

"Think about your family," said an English translation released Monday by the Pentagon (news - web sites). "Do what you must to survive."

The U.S.-British coalition has been patrolling two zones over the country for a decade in an effort to restrict Iraqi flights into the areas. Baghdad considers the patrol flights violations of its sovereignty, and Iraqi forces regularly try to shoot the planes down.

In response, coalition pilots try to bomb Iraqi air-defense systems.

Some 180,000 leaflets were dropped, 120,000 over the port city of Basra and 60,000 over As Samawah, on the Euphrates River, Pentagon officials said. Because of a malfunction in the delivery system, coalition aircraft returned to base with another 60,000 that had been meant for As Samawah, officials said.

The drop was made Sunday and acknowledged by the Pentagon Monday only after reporters asked about it.

A second leaflet dropped Sunday depicts an Iraqi weapon shooting at an airplane, and the weapon being blown up, with the words, "You decide."

Following a similar drop Oct. 3, it was the second direct warning from the Pentagon to Iraq's military rank and file as the Bush administration pursues its campaign to remove Saddam, Iraq's president. Before that, the last drop was in October 2001, officials said.

The leaflets were in the southern zone, set up to protect Shiite Muslims. The northern zone was set up to protect the Kurdish population. Both groups were given protection after unsuccessfully rising in revolt against Saddam.

The last coalition bombing reported over Iraq was Wednesday, when allied planes used precision-guided weapons to target an air defense communications facility near Al Jarrah, 90 miles southeast of Baghdad, and an air-defense operations center near Tallil, 160 miles southeast of Baghdad, U.S. Central Command said.

That bombing brought to 52 the number of days this year that such strikes were reported. It was the 40th in the south, and 12 have been reported by U.S. defense officials in the north.

U.S., British Jets Again Attack Iraq Defenses

Wed Oct 23, 2002

By Charles Aldinger

WASHINGTON ( Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes attacked Iraqi air defenses in a "no-fly" zone south of Baghdad early on Wednesday in the second such strike in two days, the U.S. military said.

The U.S. Central Command said the jets attacked an air defense communications facility near al Jarrah 90 miles southeast of Baghdad and an air defense operations center near Tallil 160 miles southeast of Baghdad in response to attempts to shoot down patrolling aircraft.

American and British jets attacked air defenses in a northern Iraq no-fly zone on Tuesday, the Pentagon (news - web sites) said earlier. An air defense spokesman in Baghdad charged those aircraft targeted civilian installations.

The warplanes have now attacked air defenses in the two no-fly zones 52 times this year in raids that have escalated sharply as speculation has grown that the United States might invade Iraq to remove President Saddam Hussein, accused by Washington of developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

The Central Command, based in Tampa, Florida, said in a statement that Wednesday's raids were launched at approximately 1:10 a.m. in Iraq. The strike at Tallil was the latest of several attacks on a major air defense center there.

ATTACKS FOLLOW SHOOT-DOWN ATTEMPTS

"Today's strikes came after Iraqi forces fired surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery at coalition aircraft in the southern no-fly zone," said the Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Gulf region.

Iraq, which does not recognize the zones set up after the 1991 Gulf War, charges the Western warplanes have attacked civilian targets and killed innocent people. The Pentagon denies that.

The zones are meant to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attack by Iraqi forces.

"Coalition strikes in the no-fly zones are executed as a self-defense measure in response to Iraq hostile threats and acts against coalition forces and their aircraft," the Central Command insisted again on Wednesday.

"Coalition aircraft never target civilian populations or infrastructure and go to painstaking lengths to avoid injury to civilians and damage to civilian facilities."

Despite speculation over a possible U.S. invasion of Iraq, President Bush said this week he believed Iraq could be disarmed peacefully, and he was willing to give diplomacy one more try.

He spoke as the United States continued to press in the United Nations for a new resolution declaring Iraq in violation of Security Council resolutions ordering Baghdad to disarm after the Gulf War.

U.S., British Jets Attack Iraq Air Defenses

Tue Oct 22, 2002

By Charles Aldinger

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes attacked Iraqi air defenses in a northern "no-fly" zone on Tuesday after Iraqi forces fired on patrolling jets, the U.S. military said.

It was the latest in a series of increasing exchanges in no-fly zones of northern and southern Iraq in recent months as speculation has grown that the United States might invade the country to oust President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites), whom Washington accuses of developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.

Tuesday's strikes using guided bombs were launched against "elements of the Iraqi integrated air defense system" after Iraqi forces fired at U.S. and British jets northeast of Mosul, the U.S. European Command said in a statement.

The command, which has responsibility for military operations in northern Iraq, did not specify what targets were hit, but said the jets left the area safely. Pentagon (news - web sites) officials said the strikes were launched in the vicinity of Mosul and that damage to the targets was still being assessed.

The warplanes have hit Iraqi air defenses in the two no-fly zones 51 times this year, 39 times in the south and 12 times in the north.

The zones, set up after the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites) and which Iraq does not recognize, are meant to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attack by Iraqi forces.

President Bush (news - web sites) said Monday he believed Iraq could be disarmed peacefully, and he was willing to give diplomacy one more try.

"We've tried diplomacy. We're trying it one more time. I believe the free world, if we make up our mind to, can disarm this man peacefully, but if not we have the will and the desire as do other nations to disarm Saddam," Bush told reporters.

He said U.S. policy seeking a regime change in Iraq remained, but said if Saddam met all U.N. disarmament demands "that in itself would signal that the regime has changed."

He spoke as the United States continued to press in the United Nations (news - web sites) for a new resolution declaring Iraq in violation of Security Council resolutions ordering Baghdad to disarm after the Gulf War and warning that Saddam could face action if he did not comply.

US / Britain Bomb Iraq for 50th time this year

Allies bomb command site in Iraq no-fly zone

Tue Oct 15, 2002

By PAULINE JELINEK, Assoc.Press

WASHINGTON - Allied planes bombed a military command facility in the southern no-fly zone over Iraq on Tuesday after taking fire from Iraqi forces, U.S. defense officials said.

The bombing brought to 50 the number of days this year that such strikes were reported by the United States and Britain coalition, whose mission is to patrol two zones set up to protect Iraqi minorities following the 1991 Gulf War.

Coalition planes targeted precision-guided weapons at 1015GMT at a command and control and communications facility near Al Kut, about 100 miles (1670 kilometers) from the capital, Baghdad, said a statement from the U.S. Central Command. It said damage assessment was incomplete.

"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," the statement said.

Iraq considers the patrols a violation of its sovereignty and frequently shoots at the planes. In response, coalition pilots try to bomb Iraqi air defenses.

Before Tuesday's retaliatory strike, Iraqi forces fired surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery at coalition aircraft, Central Command said.

The hostilities have been going on for years but have taken on new importance since the Bush administration has vowed to oust President Saddam's Hussein's regime. The Pentagon has also changed its targeting in recent months, not necessarily hitting back at facilities from which the hostilities originate, but rather planning strikes that will do the most to disable Iraq air defenses.

The last strike in the southern zone was Friday near Tallil.

According to figures released by the command, Tuesday was the 39th day this year that the U.S.-British operation retaliated against Iraq in the southern zone, set up to protect Shiite Muslims. There have been 11 such days in the northern zone, set up to protect the Kurdish population.

US / Britain Bomb suspected Iraqi Radar, Missile Site

Thu Oct 10, 8:09 AM ET

By PAULINE JELINEK, Assoc. Press

WASHINGTON - Allied planes bombed radar and missile sites in the southern no-fly zone over Iraq on Thursday, targeting President Saddam Hussein's air defenses for the third time this week.

The strike brought to 48 the number of days this year that such bombings were reported by the United States and the United Kingdom coalition, whose mission is to patrol two zones set up to protect Iraqi minorities following the 1991 Gulf War.

Coalition planes targeted precision-guided weapons at a radar site near Al Basrah, about 245 miles southeast of Baghdad, said a statement from the U.S. Central Command.

At the same time — 4 a.m. EDT — they also launched a strike against a surface-to-air missile site near Tallil, about 160 miles southeast of Baghdad, it said.

Iraq considers the patrols a violation of its sovereignty and frequently shoots at the planes. In response, coalition pilots try to bomb Iraqi air defenses.

According to figures released by the command, that made Thursday the 37th day this year that the U.S.-U.K. operation retaliated against Iraq in the southern zone, set up to protect Shiite Muslims. There have been 11 such days in the northern zone, set up to protect the Kurdish population.

The hostilities have been going on for years but have taken on new importance since the Bush administration has vowed to oust Saddam's regime.

Thursday's strike came after Iraqis fired anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles at coalition aircraft, the statement said. It follows a strike Wednesday that the U.S. European Command said targeted two missile launchers that were considered threatening to allies.

Last Thursday Iraqi forces fired on coalition aircraft dropping leaflets in the southern no-fly zone and allies bombed a defense operations center at Tallil in response.

The leaflets were warning Iraqis not to shoot on coalition planes

U.S. Bombs Iraq Missile Launchers

Wed Oct 9, 1:05 PM ET

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - U.S. warplanes bombed missile launchers in Iraq's northern no-fly zone on Wednesday, with American military officials calling them a threat to air patrols over the restricted zone.

The strike brought to 47 the number of days this year that such bombings were reported by the United States and the United Kingdom coalition, whose mission is to patrol two zones set up to protect Iraqi minorities following the 1991 Gulf War.

Coalition planes targeted precision-guided weapons at an "imminently hostile surface-to-air missiles system" Iraqis had set up northwest of Mosul in the northern zone, said a statement from the U.S. European Command.

The system included two missile launchers, an official at the Pentagon said on condition of anonymity. He said Iraqis did not fire on coalition planes but their presence in the zone was a threat to the pilots who patrol.

Iraq considers the patrols a violation of its sovereignty and frequently shoots at the planes. In response, coalition pilots try to bomb Iraqi air defenses.

According to figures released by the command, the strike Wednesday made it the 11th day this year that there has been a strike in the northern zone, set up to protect the Kurdish population. There have been a reported 36 such days in the much larger southern zone set up to protect Shiite Muslims and patrolled by the U.S. Central Command. On some days there is more than one strike.

The hostilities have been going on for years but have taken on new importance since the Bush administration has vowed to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime.

The planes based enforcing the northern no-fly zone are based in southern Turkey.

US, British Warplanes Drop Leaflets, Bombs on Iraq

Thu Oct 3, 4:06 PM ET

By Charles Aldinger

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and British warplanes dropped thousands of warning leaflets on southern Iraq and bombed an air defense command center on Thursday after Iraq's military tried to shoot down planes that dropped the leaflets, the Pentagon said.

In Baghdad, an Iraqi military spokesman said five civilians had been killed in an air attack on civilian installations in the south.

The U.S. Central Command said from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, that a strike with guided bombs was launched at 4:30 a.m. EDT, 12:30 p.m. in Iraq, against a military air defense and operations center near Tallil, about 160 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Defense officials said it was a response to attempts to shoot down coalition aircraft that dropped 120,000 leaflets warning the Iraqi military against continuing to fire missiles and artillery at U.S. and British jets patrolling no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq.

"The destruction experienced by your colleagues in other air defense locations is a response to your continuing aggression toward planes of the coalition forces," said a sample leaflet made available by the Pentagon.

'YOU COULD BE NEXT' -- LEAFLET

"No tracking or firing on these aircraft will be tolerated. You could be next," the message warned. It included a drawing of a warplane firing missiles at a radar and anti-aircraft battery on the ground.

Defense officials said other such leaflets had been dropped in recent days.

In Baghdad, the Iraqi military spokesman said civilians were targeted and killed.

"The planes attacked our civilian and service installations in Nassiriya city, killing five civilians and injuring eleven others," the spokesman said in a statement carried by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).

Nassiriya city in Dhi qar province is 235 miles south of Baghdad.

U.S. Defense officials declined to say what kind of aircraft dropped the leaflets. But officials indicated they did not include the U.S. military's four-engine C-130 turboprop "Commando Solo" Special Operations planes used to conduct psychological military operations.

It was the latest in an escalating series of tit-for-tat exchanges in recent months as speculation has grown the United States may be preparing to invade Iraq.

The Central Command said the target was a military communications hub for radar surveillance and anti-aircraft missile sites in the southern no-fly zone.

46 STRIKES THIS YEAR

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters last week he had ordered U.S. aircraft to strike at more "fixed" air defense targets such as buildings and command and control centers in response to attempts to shoot down the patrolling American and British jets.

There have now been 46 strikes this year by U.S. and British aircraft policing two no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq set up after the 1991 Gulf War. Thirty-six of those have come in the southern zone.

The frequency of the airstrikes against Iraq has fluctuated over the decade since the Gulf War, but they have increased sharply in recent months as speculation has grown that President Bush might order an invasion to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who Washington accuses of developing weapons of mass destruction.

The no-fly zones, which Baghdad does not recognize, were imposed to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attacks by the Iraqi government.

"Today's strike came after Iraqi air defenses fired anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles at coalition aircraft in the southern no-fly zone," the command said in a statement.

"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."

The last strike in the southern no-fly zone was against a military mobile radar near Al Kut on Tuesday.

Coalition aircraft hit Iraqi targets
Sunday, September 29, 2002 Posted: 9:23 AM EDT (1323 GMT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. Central Command said Sunday that coalition aircraft patrolling Iraq's southern no-fly zone struck targets in two
locations.

The command issued a news release saying that precision-guided weapons were used to strike a military mobile radar target near Basra and a
surface-to-air site in Qalat Sikur.

The action was taken in response to hostile Iraqi actions against coalition aircraft monitoring the southern no-fly zone, Centcom said. Iraqi TV reported that U.S. forces struck a mobile radar unit in Basra on Sunday. A coalition spokesman said the action took place about 5 p.m. EDT Saturday, or early Sunday Iraqi time. Basra is 345 miles southeast of Baghdad and Qalat Sikur is 130 miles southeast of Baghdad. Coalition warplanes began enforcing the no-fly zones over Iraq after the 1991 Persian Gulf War to stop Iraq from using its air force against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq and Shiite Muslims in the south.

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Iraq Says U.S. Jets Destroy Basra Airport Radar

Thu Sep 26, 8:45 AM ET

By Hassan Hafidh

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq said on Thursday U.S. warplanes had raided Basra civilian airport and damaged its radar system, in the latest attack by Western jets enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq.

Iraq's state-run satellite television quoted a government spokesman as saying the attack on the airport in Basra, 480 km (300 miles) southeast of Baghdad, took place on Wednesday night.

The airport occupies a large area in the strategic Basra province, home to Iraq's main port at the mouth of the Gulf and major oil installations.

"The raids destroyed the main radar system in the airport as well as damaging the main service building at the airport," the television said.

The Iraqi News Agency reported President Saddam Hussein chaired a meeting of top Iraqi officials hours after Wednesday's alleged attack.

INA said they discussed "the current political situation," but gave no further details.

There was no immediate U.S. confirmation of the attack. U.S. aircraft, along with British jets, police two no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq set up after the 1991 Gulf War.

The zones, which Baghdad does not recognize, were imposed to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attacks by the Iraqi government.

Exchanges have increased sharply in recent months as speculation has grown of a possible U.S. attack against Baghdad to remove President Saddam Hussein from power.

Washington accuses Saddam of developing weapons of mass destruction, a charge Iraq has repeatedly denied.

Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council Izzat Ibrahim, Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz and the Oil Minister Amir Muhammed Rasheed attended the meeting, the agency said.

It was the second attack on Basra airport's radar system.

U.S. F-16 warplanes destroyed the system last August. U.S. defense officials said at the time the warplanes attacked a military radar as part of a concerted strategy to destroy Iraq's air defenses, which regularly fire at Western warplanes.

Baghdad said on Wednesday U.S. and British jets attacked civilian targets in the south of the country the day before and one civilian was wounded.

Iraq: Western Warplanes Attack South, One Hurt

Wed Sep 25, 1:31 PM ET

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq said U.S. and British jets attacked civilian targets in the south of the country on Tuesday and one civilian was wounded.

"Hostile American and British planes violated our airspace at 21:30 p.m. local time (1:30 p.m. EDT) yesterday, flying from air bases in Kuwait," an Iraqi military spokesman said on Wednesday in a statement carried by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).

"The enemy attacked our civilian and service installations in Dhi qar and Meisan provinces, hurting one civilian," the spokesman said.

He added that Iraq's ground air defenses fired at the planes and they returned to their bases in Kuwait.

There was no immediate confirmation by the United States or Britain, whose aircraft police two no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq set up after the 1991 Gulf War.

The zones, which Baghdad does not recognize, were imposed to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attacks by the Iraqi government.

The exchanges have increased sharply in recent months as speculation has grown of a possible U.S. attack against Baghdad to remove President Saddam Hussein from power.

President Bush urged the United Nations last week "to show some backbone" on Iraq and made clear he was prepared to confront Saddam with or without world support.

Washington accuses Baghdad of developing weapons in defiance of U.N. demands first set out at the end of the Gulf War that drove Iraqi occupation troops from Kuwait. Iraq denies the charges.

Iraq Says US, British Jets Attack Targets in South

Sun Sep 15,12:55 PM ET

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq said U.S. and British jets bombed targets in a southern part of the country Sunday, but reported no casualties.

"At 9:35 a.m. local time (1:35 a.m. EDT) today, American and British aircraft violated our airspace, flying from bases in Kuwait and carrying out 38 sorties," an Iraqi military spokesman said in a statement carried by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).

"The enemy attacked our civilian and service installations in Dhi qar province," the spokesman said. Dhi qar is about 230 miles south of the capital Baghdad.

The spokesman added that Iraqi air defenses on the ground had fired at the planes and they had returned to their bases.

U.S. and British aircraft police "no-fly" zones set up in northern and southern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War to protect a Kurdish enclave in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from possible attacks by the Iraqi government.

Iraq does not recognize the no-fly zones and exchanges have increased sharply in recent months as speculation has grown of a possible U.S. attack against Baghdad to remove President Saddam Hussein from power.

There was no immediate confirmation of the Iraqi report from Washington or London.

President Bush urged the United Nations on Saturday "to show some backbone" on Iraq and made clear he was prepared to confront Saddam with or without world support.

Washington accuses Baghdad of developing weapons in defiance of U.N. demands first set out at the end of the Gulf War that drove Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

US & Britain Bomb Hits Iraq Facility

Mon Sep 9, 8:58 AM ET