Coalition aircraft patrolling the southern no-fly zone over Iraq struck three military targets Wednesday in response to attacks by Iraqi forces, according to U.S Central Command officials. The warplanes targeted Iraqi military communications sites, said U.S. officials, who described the sites as unmanned air defense facilities. The sites were located between the towns of Al Kut, about 100 miles south of Baghdad, and Al Basrah, some 245 miles southeast of Baghdad. The coalition strikes happened after Iraqi forces fired surface-to-air-missiles and anti-aircraft artillery at the planes, the Central Command said.
Is there some reason they're hitting "unmanned" sites instead of taking out the launchers and the C3 facilities? Or did CNN miss something?
In the seven days since Baghdad agreed to the terms of a U.N. disarmament resolution, the Iraqis have fired on coalition aircraft six times. U.N. resolution 1441 states in part that "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 Council resolution."
But Kofi says this sort of thing isn't a violation... |