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Dear friends, This escalation of hostilities in the so-called "no-fly" zones in Iraq, at a time when Pres. Bush is trying to shore up support for an invasion, seems deliberately designed to antagonize Iraq even more. peacefully yours, Nancy Hey Allied planes again retaliate over Iraq no-fly zone By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Thursday October 03, 2002, 05:27:00 AM WASHINGTON (AP) - Allied planes launched an airstrike in the southern no-fly zone over Iraq Thursday, targeting an air defense headquarters and operations center, defense officials said. It brought to 46 the number of "strike days" reported this year by the United States and the United Kingdom coalition put together to patrol zones set up to protect Iraqi minorities following the 1991 Gulf War. On some days, more than one area is bombed. "Today's strike came after Iraq air defenses fired anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles at coalition aircraft," said a statement from the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla. Coalition planes responded, targeting precision-guided weapons at an operations center and air defense headquarters for the sector near Tallil, some 160 miles southeast of Baghdad at 4:30 a.m. EDT Thursday. There was no assessment immediately available on how much damage was done. It was the third time in nine days that planes launched strikes in the area trying to destroy communications equipment, control radar and a surface-to-air missile launcher in missions Sept. 25 and 28. Repeat missions have become common in recent weeks. Coalition aircraft for the sixth time in a month struck this week near Al Kut, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, because Iraqis keep moving mobile radar equipment to the area, Pentagon officials 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 defense systems. Coalition strikes are not necessarily aimed at the place or equipment used to target them. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld disclosed recently that he has ordered that pilots attack command and communications links in Iraq's air defense network rather than the guns and radars used to target or shoot at U.S. and British pilots. The goal of the new approach, more than a decade after American and British pilots began enforcing no-fly zones, is to reduce dangers to the pilots while increasing the damage inflicted on an Iraqi air defense system that has grown more sophisticated. The amount of any damage from Thursday's strike was unknown because assessment was still under way. The strike was 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 revolting against the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The strikes come as the Bush administration increases efforts to convince the world of the need to overthrow Saddam. --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
