U.S. Launched, Aborted Air Raid On Iraq 07:48 p.m Nov 14, 1998 Eastern By Charles Aldinger WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. B-52 bombers headed for Iraq with cruise missiles Saturday but the raid was aborted after Baghdad offered to cooperate with U.N. arms inspections, a U.S. official said. ``It was close,'' the official said, confirming that the eight-engine bombers had taken off but were called back so Washington could consider Iraq's letter to the United Nations. The White House later rejected Baghdad's offer as inadequate. The U.S. official, who asked not to be identified, declined to say where the bombers had been launched from. But the Air Force is currently in the process of sending 12 of the big Vietnam-vintage jets with air-launched cruise missiles to the Gulf region in a major military buildup. CNN reported that the B-52s were only an hour from striking when the raid was aborted. The accurate missiles carried by the planes, air-launched versions of ship-borne Tomahawk cruise missiles, have a range of more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km). Defense officials, who also asked not to be identified, refused to comment on whether the bombers had been launched but said the United States had been within hours of a major strike on Iraqi targets by several hundred air and sea-launched missiles in action authorized by President Clinton before Baghdad sent its letter to the United Nations. The U.S. Navy has a submarine and seven other warships in the Gulf area capable of launching Tomahawks. U.S. national security adviser Sandy Berger later Saturday called the Iraqi letter offering to resume cooperation with U.N. arms inspectors ``unacceptable'' and said the United States remained poised for military action. B-52 bombers previously ordered to the area near Iraq are from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. They are to be based at a British facility on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. The United States Saturday continued its military buildup in the Gulf and was expected to have a force of more than 22 warships and 300 aircraft in the area within two weeks. More than 50 F-15 and F-16 fighter jets left their stateside bases Saturday, and 12 radar-avoiding F-117A stealth fighters were to depart Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for Kuwait later Saturday night. --------------250AA45178595A74717E779E--
