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Operation Desert Fox, December 1998
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August 2001 Ships in the Gulf
Summary of U.N. Sanctions

August 26, 2002 Coalition aircraft strike a radar site near Irbil in Northern Iraq. No coalition aircraft were damaged and all returned home safely.

August 24, 2002

British Jets attack Army intelligence and air defense installation on Sunday in Ashar, south of Basra with no coalition damage or casualties

August 22, 2002 Coalition aircraft attacked air defense and command and control facilities in Missan province of southern Iraq, with no coalition damage or casualties. Iraq claims three civilians were killed. The attacks were in response to hostile actions by Iraqi forces.

June 16, 2002

For a second day in a row, U.S. and British jets pounded anti-aircraft sites which had threatened planes patrolling the Southern no fly zone. Baghdad accused the patrolling coalition of killing civilian encampments, however allied intelligence clearly shows the sites were classic Iraqi mobile anti- aircraft and air defense sites. Russia protested the attacks saying the attacks do not help resolve problems in the region (according to a Reuters news report).

May 20, 2002 The U.S. Central command reports a U.S. plane attacked a radar site after a SAM was fired at two U.S.fighters in the Southern No Fly Zone, 170 miles south of Baghdad. Central Command reported that the radar site had the ability to "share information with other systes."

April 22, 2002 General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that throught April, Iraq has been moving SAM and radar sites into both the Northern and Southern No Fly zones. On two occasions, Coalition aircraft have responded to lock ons from these sites and so far two have been attacked U.S. jets. It is believed Iraq is in the process of updating their defenses including adding fiber optic links and installing separate receiver and transmitter facilities to better attempt to track stealth aircraft.

March 3, 2002 U.S. Aircraft once again respond to radar lockon from Iraqi anti-aircraft sites, attacking several sites over last week. U.S. aircraft returned home with no incident.

February 4, 2002:   In response to anti-aircraft artillery fire, Allied aircraft dropped precision guided bombs on a site northeast of Mosul in the Northern No-Fly zone, just 30 days after a similar opreation 30 days ago. The network television news network, eroneously suggested this is the first such attack since September, which is not true, however it is the first attack in the Northern flyzone since September.

January 28, 2002:   Pentagon announced on January 28, 2002 that U.S. aircraft, using precision guided munitions, pounded three missile and artillery sites on 1/21, 1/23, and 1/24. The attacks occurred in the southern no-fly zone as the Iraqi assets targeted coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zone.

September 4, 2001: nbsp; Following the four F-16 attack on a radar station at Basra airport on Thursday, 8/30, the Penagon announced a Tuesday 9/4/01 strike on anti-aircraft artillery and Surface-to-Air-Missile (SAM) sites near Ad Samawah, 100+ miles southwest of Baghdad. The strikes were composed of some 15 U.S. and British aircraft, with U.S. warplanes striking from the U.S.S Enterprise sitting in the Gulf.

No aircraft were damaged and all returned to their launch points safely. The attacks were part of the increasing regular, "rolling attacks" the Pentagon predicted early in August, slowly degrading Iraqi air defense capabilities thus decreasing the danger for Coalition aircraft patrolling the Northern and Southern No Fly Zones.

August 25, 2001: - U.S. planes launched a flight of air-to-ground missiles at Iraqi radar station 100 miles south of Baghdad as part of an ongoing effort to quell stepped up Iraqi lockons and missile firings at aircraft patrolling the Northern and Southern No Fly Zones. The attacks took place at 4:30 am and all U.S. and British aircraft returned home safely.

Iraqi news reported the attack quite differently saying that U.S. and British warplanes attacked "civil and service installations" and a civilian was wounded. The Iraqi news agency also claimed that Iraqi surface-to-air missile sites "courageous ground resistance" forced the coalition aircraft to "turn back in shame".

August 14, 2001: - U.S. planes strike again in a paced plan of destruction of Iraq's ability to threaten U.S. warplanes. F-16s using precision guided munitions attacked a SAM targeting radar site nearly 200 miles south of Baghdad and then returned home safely.

U.S. officials stated this is part of a gradual effort to go after Saddam Hussein's rebuilt air defenses. DoD spokesmen said today's attacks were in response to the increased boldness of Iraqi attempts to strike U.S. aircraft flying the No Fly Zones and made it quite clear that more would be forthcoming as events warranted.

Clearly U.S. military planners are assessing risks versus targets while checking off their list of sites dangerous to U.S. and British airmen flying Operations Northern and Southern Watch.

According to Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, "This radar has been an element of the Iraqi air defense system that has been directly contributing to effectiveness of their integrated air defense system..."

"If Iraq were to cease its threatening actions, coalition strikes would cease as well" claimed U.S. Central Command. With this latest attack and the positioning of possilble future attacks, it is clear the U.S. has not given up on enforcing the No Fly Zones, nor will the U.S. allow Iraq to continue to threaten its aircraft performing that mission.

August 10, 2001: - As predicted, U.S. and British warplanes streaked through the Southern No Fly Zone to attack command and control facilities and missile batteries which have been boldly targeting Operation Southern Watch aircraft. The ground packages consisting of F-16, F-18 and British Tornado GR4 bombers, were escorted over the taraget by F-14 and the airspace was controlled by U.S. Navy E-2 Hawkeye A&EWC aircraft from the U.S.S. Enterprise situated off shore in the Persian Gulf.

U.S. officials stated that other raids were not out of the question and that the U.S. will continue to strike at threatening infrastructure as needed to protect the U.N. manadated Northern and Southern No-Fly zones.

The target of the attacks included a communications site at An Munaniyah, 115km south east of Baghdad and at an early warning radar station and nearby surface-to-air missile battery at An Nasiriyah some 165km further south east.

U.S. Officials also said that overhead reconaissance has recorded Chinese aid in rebuilding fiber optic links for the Iraqi air defenses.

August 7, 2001: - Iraqi missile batteries in northern Iraq lock on to a pair of U.S. F-16s patrolling from their base in Turkey. The F-16s fire and destroy the missile site with gravity bombs. Iraq claims some 14 sorties were flown in an attack against civilian and "service" targets and that their strong air defense repulsed the attack, forcing the American planes to hastily retreat back to Turkey.

The U.S. Defense Department, however, reports that the action consisted of two aircraft and the missile batteries, with no other missions and no other targets. When asked if the attack was somehow related to a retaliation for recent events such as the unsuccessful shooting at a U-2 and lock-ons onto E-2Cs flying in Kuwati airspace, DoD spokesman emphatically replied that the attack was in self defense and had no relation to earlier events.

July 30, 2001: - Iraqi SAM batteries shoot blindly at a U-2 overhead reconaissance flight. The U-2, flying well above most SAM flight ceilings, was not hit. Pentagon officials say the SAM was "free-fired", that is, launched without benefit of ongoing radar guidance, similar to launching the missile in the general vacinity of the aircraft in hopes of the missile straying into the aircraft.

The attempted attack follows an earlier provocation as a E-2C surveillance aircraft used to look down on the no fly zones was targeted unsuccessfully by Iraqi missile batteries.

Adm Craig Quigley, the DoD spokesman, said that the number of Iraqi provocations is up in 2001, already at 370 provocations in the Southern No Fly zone, up from 221 for all of last year. The Northern Fly zone is at 145 provocations, up from 62 so far in 2001.

April 12, 2001: - U.S. planes respond to anti-aircraft radar lock-on and attack and destroy AA site 130 miles southeast of Baghdad.

March 30, 2001: - U.S. Planes attack artillery site near As Samawah on the Euphrates River in Southern Iraq.

As briefed in the Pentagon by the Director of Joint Operations Staff, Lt. General Greg Newbold, ABC News reported that the strike aircraft left on the attacks at about 11:20 am on Friday Morning, 2/16. The aircraft began the attack at around 12:15 and by 12:30 began leaving the vicinity, clearing the Iraqi air space by 1:30 pm.

According to ABC News, the Iraqi Air Defense forces have fired more anti- aircraft missiles in the last 5 weeks prior to the attack than all of that expended in the last six months. Speculation would be that the increased Iraqi tempo helped Pentagon and Central Command commanders to make their decision to begin planning to reduce the danger to their pilots.

The attacks centered on 20 radars and fiber optic links which comprised 5 command and control sites around Baghdad according to Pentagon briefers.

The reasons given by General Greg Newbold were that the build up had gotten to the point that the Iraqi sites been for sometime presenting a clear danger to No Fly Zone patrol aircraft. Two types of radars were struck as part of the operations, both able to surveil well into the no fly zone patrol areas, and were consistently painting patrol aircraft. In answer to a question of the press, the General stated that they have been building this capability by moving destroyed radars nearer the no fly zone into what the Iraqi's thought were safer areas near Baghdad. The General also stated that all the targets were in military areas clear of any residential or local businesses and therefore civilian casualties should not have occurred. The General also stated that none of the attacks missed their targets.

The attacks came nearly on the anniversary of last years attacks on anti- aircraft sites near the northern border of the Northern No Fly Zone area. It is also the first really "inland" attack since the "Desert Fox" strikes in December of 1998.

The Pentagon briefing also pointed out that long range, standoff weapons were used so that U.S. aircraft were far from any anti-aircraft weapons in the vicinity of Baghdad.

ABC News incorrectly reported that the decision was made to attack "because there was a new President in office". The reporter was most likely interpreting comments made over the previous week by President George W. Bush that the "...U.S. would show a little more military muscle with Iraq". However, Lt. General Newbold clearly indicated the reasons for attacka and the timing came from the commanders in the region assessing risk to U.S. and British pilots patrol the No Fly Zones, and gained approval for the operation when they informed the President of their plans. Speculation might be that the build up was ignored during the election controversy so that the administration could better deal with the political fallout from such an attack. Typical and expected responses from China and Russia as well as a number of Arab states was noted almost that most of the nations in the Ariabian penninsula continue to fund the patrolling of the No Fly Zones and other sanctions against Suddam Hussein and Iraq.

In a later press briefing, President George W. Bush indicated that this was an operation presented to him in the form of a communication or notification of the military commanders intent to conduct operations already approved by the policy established for defense of those patrolling the no fly zone, and absent his veto the operation would go ahead. Obviouly President Bush supported the attacks and they went ahead as planned.

Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, on the day of the attack said:

"The objective of today's mission by coalition forces was to degrade Iraqi air defense capabilities and thus reduce the threat posed to coalition aircraft and aircrews. The specifics of the mission were planned by the military commander in the field, and were presented to and approved by the national command authorities. The administration intends to enforce the no-fly zones in Iraq and will take appropriate steps to reduce the threats to coalition forces engaged in this mission."

U.S. and U.K aircraft attacked anti-aircraft facilities in Iraqi, and according to Reuters, this makes the eighth clash between the western forces and Iraqi military sites. Reuters also quoted the U.S. military, " ``The Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) at coalition aircraft from sites near Bashiqah (in northern Iraq…Coalition aircraft responded to the Iraqi attack by dropping ordnance on elements of the Iraqi integrated air defence system'' .

Saturday, January 23, 1999. Iraq continues to defy the U.N. by regularly flying aircraft near the No-Fly zone and illuminating U.S. and British aircraft patrolling the zone. The cycle of cat and mouse has continued since the cessation of bombing which ended less than a week after it begun on December 16, 1998. Following the four nights of bombing, Iraqi mobile SAM launchers began to move into hostile positions.

U.S. aircraft commanders, under rules of engagement that allow them to launch High speed Anti Radiation Missiles (HARM) at illuminating SAM sites, continually attack radar emitters. On January 23, U.S. aircraft took out one SAM site and on Sunday January 24, another is believed to be destroyed but not confirmed.

While the game continues, it is clear U.S. patience after the initial 1998 strike is once again wearing thin, and the opportunity for resumption of strikes gets closer.

Meanwhile, the Iraqis, hoping for support from the Arab League of Nations are surprised and stalk out of the meetings when their neighbors refuse to condemn U.N. sanctions and U.S. actions against Iraq. The Arab League urges Iraq to comply with the U.N. requirements for resumption of inspections and monitoring regimes.

On January 26 both North and South no-fly zones were busy. In the North, Iraqi artillery moved into attack positions and fired upon U.S. aircraft with anti-aircraft shelling. U.S. fighters responded by dropping laser guided bombs on these artillery emplacements. After being targeted by a SAM site, a U.S. EA-6B Prowler (ELINT aircraft) launched a HARM missile at the site threatening it. U.S. Aircraft also fired missiles at two other Iraqi SAM sites.

In the Southern No Fly Zone, U.S. aircraft fired at several targets at Basra after they were illuminated and fired upon by Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery, and threatened by Iraqi warplanes just south of the No-Fly zone border. U.S. aircraft also fired upon a SAM site, associated air defense systems and command and control elements. Iraqi run news services reported some 11 civilians were killed and another 59 were injured (Iraqi Press Agency).

On January 30, U.S. attacked six Iraqi Air-Defense sites near the city of Mosul, also in the northern No-Fly zone.

On January 31, U.S. and British warplanes struck again, first a U.S. F-16 based out of Incirlik, Turkey, acting in self defense, fired a HARM missile at a Iraqi radar site in the Northern No-Fly Zone, and then eight U.S. and British planes attacked communications sites in the Southern No-Fly Zone.

December 1998 - Another Crisis

Meanwhile, the DoD and DoS warned that a continued array of forces were rotating into the region poised to strike if Iraq did once again allow inspections. At all levels, the U.S. government warned that the use of force option was still available.

On December 15, 1998, Butler once again ordered U.N. UNSCOM inspectors out of the region.

On December 16, 1998, U.S.President Clinton allowed the attack postponed in November to resume. The array of forces due in the area by December 18, 1998 would seem to indicate U.S. preparation for any Iraqi response. The new attack was dubbed Operation Desert Fox.

After more than three days of U.S. and British missile and bombing attacks, Iraqi Defense Minister vowed to not allow U.N inspectors back. Meanwhile, U.N. Security Counsel members China and Russia began a hard press to lift sanctions on Iraq.

With no inspections, it is clear that U.S. and British forces may have to return to bombing regularly to ensure no other weapons development could be started.

December 19 marked the last of attacks with no U.S. or British losses.

After the attack stopped, Iraqi President Suddam Hussein declared victory against the U.S. and British attacking forces. Many in the U.S. Congress called for concerted efforts to force the removal of Saddam Hussein.

November 1998 - The Beginning of this Year's Crisis

In early November, President Bill Clinton warned the nations press that the latest refusal by Iraq to allow inspections is the worst defiance by Iraq since the Gulf War. Following advice to allow diplomacy to take its course before promising military action, the President seems to have waited for a reasonable amount of time to pass while the diplomats have attempted to perform their magic. However, it is clear that this strategy is not only ineffective, but dangerous. On November 2, one day before state elections across the United States, the President announced that no option for response to latest Iraqi refusals for inspections is "off-the-table". In other words, the military option is once again being used as a lever to force the Iraqis into compliance. The next few weeks could result in return to events which began one year ago. (see October 1997 below.

On November 3, 1998, the U.S. State Department published a Travel Warning warning U.S. citizens of possible violence and military action in regards to Iraq's new refusals to honor their obligations. This is usually the first hint of military action.

November 5: The United Nations voted to cite Iraq for "flagrant violation" of the terms of the cease fire and inspection agreements, both the original and that brokered by the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan earlier in 1998.

November 8: the U.S. President met with the Secretary of Defense William Cohen and the National Security Advisor Sandy Berger. Cohen had just returned from a Gulf nations tour consulting with various governments there, and Berger had just returned from consultations from the French and British.

November 12: U.S. President Clinton warns that the U.S. will not condone the recent refusals for inspections and that military action is clearly a very relavent action. The U.N., responding to the tenor of Clinton's message, and the Iraqi stubborn refusal to capitulate, withdraws all inspection teams out of Iraq.

November 14: With U.S. bombers literally on their attack missions Saturday, Iraqi officials finally agreed to allow U.N. weapons inspection teams to return to their inspections. The attack was aborted by U.S. President Clinton in time to prevent any of the attacking aircraft from completing their mission.

The President did, however, warn Iraq that the crisis was not over until the teams did, in fact, return to inspections. The military forces in the Gulf region will remain until the Iraqi capitulation is proven to be in effect.

At the time of the attack orders, the U.S. had considerable forces in place, with more than enough firepower to force Iraq back to an inspection regime.

This Year's Instigation: September 1998

Once again, Iraq has denied access to key facilities and inspectors have complained to the U.N Security Council. Once again Iraq has gone back on their word and after almost a year to-the-date from the beginnings of the last crisis.

The U.N. has called for Iraq to comply with the U.N. sanctions, however none of the Security Council members is willing to rattle the sword again. Some believe that the U.S. President, worried at home, is not able to politically spend the necessary funds to re-generate another operation into the Gulf region (last year's push to get ready for attack was called Operation Desert Thunder). However, after the November elections it is possible the U.S. will then make efforts to force Kuwait to comply.

October 1997 through March 1998

Overview

The previous crisis began in October as U.N. Inspectors began having trouble getting into a number of different sites. Then on November 6, 1997 the U.N. complained of Iraqis playing with monitoring cameras.

The Crisis reached a head when Iraq expelled inspection teams based on U.S. having members on these inspection teams On November 13, 1997, U.N. pulled out all the inspectors refusing to allow Iraq to define the make-up of the teams.

Diplomacy managed to replace the teams by November 21st, but Iraq begins right away with new rhetoric and refusals to allow inspections of "Presidential Palaces". The U.N. fed up with this game of cat and mouse began stepping up their threats, with the U.S. continuing its build up of military forces (a second carrier battle group).

Things cooled until mid January 1998, when once again Iraq refused access (as promised) to the so-called "Presidential Palaces". By the first week of February, 1998, a third carrier group and a Marine Expeditionary force were moved in as the Pentagon began finalizing strike plans.

Abstract

As part of the surrender and peace treaty between the U.N. Gulf Coalition and Iraq following the Gulf War, Iraq agreed to periodic, unlimited inspections by U.N. arms inspection personnel (U.N. Special Commission on Iraq - UNSCOM), obstensibly to ensure the dismantlement and prohibition for development of weapons of mass destruction.

On October 29, 1997, the Iraqis raised tensions in the area once again by refusing to allow U.N. inspection teams to continue their inspections. This was not the first time Iraq has pushed the envelope on Inspections, or in fact on any of the terms of the treaty following the Gulf War. Previous provokations included radar lock-ons to U.N. aircraft patrolling the Northern and Southern no-fly zones. Those provokations resulted in a set of SAM sites being destroyed by U.S. warship launched Cruise Missiles, and another set taken out by U.S. Aircraft using anti-radiation missiles launched from jet fighter aircraft.

In this new provocation, Iraq stated that U.S. members of the inspection teams were U.S. spys and therefore would not be allowed. According to the U.N. inspectors, they observed scientists leaving with loads of material during a surprise inspection, and subsequently found test kits for testing of anthrax and sarin gas...agents Iraq has been known to possess previously but thought to have been destroyed. When attempts were made to follow this trail of evidence, the inspection teams were barred from further inspections, and the current crisis began.

U.N. diplomats attempted to resolved the situation, citing Iraq's previous agreements which stated unlimited access and did not allow Iraq to have any say in the makeup of the inspection teams.

As U.N. rhetoric became more terse, Iraq appeared not to be backing down, and in fact, threats were made by Iraq to shoot down U-2 spy planes which the U.N. requested to overfly in order to verify treaty provisions.

The U.S. maintains that any hostile act against U.S. aircraft (the U.S. is providing the U-2 service to the U.N.) will be a clear act of agression with grevious results...in the words of President Clinton, "a big mistake".

A U.N. negotiating team flew into Iraq to discuss the terms of the agreement Iraq had signed as part of the capitulation following the Gulf war, and Russian and French diplomats also attempted to reason with Iraq. However Iraq remained intransient.

The next U-2 flight was postponed in order for the U.N. diplomats to carry out their negotiations, but when those negotiations failed, new U-2 flights were resumed, so far with no action from Baghdad.

Subsequently, new inspection attempts were also thwarted.

On November 12, 1997, the U.N. voted to add a highly restrictive travel ban on Iraqi citizens, and condemmed the refusal to allow inspections. It became clear some consession from Iraq was necessary to prevent further excalation of events.

The resolution made four made points:

1. Condemmed Iraq for not allowing inspections
2. Called for immediate and full cooperation with inspectors
3. Created a travel ban in and out of Iraq (with only a few exceptions)
4. Warned of other, unnamed actions if Iraq did not comply.

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. called for immediate access by the arms inspection teams following the unanimous U.N. security council vote.

On November 13, Iraq expelled U.S. inspection team members. The U.N. quickly removed all inspection teams (save for a skeleton crew, location unknown), citing that a prior non-segragation policy prohibited Iraq from determining makeup of inspection teams. Analysis would also indicate this is a wise move as Saddam's next move would be to seize inspection team members and use them as human shields.

As the U.S.S. George Washington, a nuclear powered aircraft carrier, made its way throught the Suez Canel to join her sister ship in the Gulf, U.S.S. Nimitz, Iraq softened its tone slightly, saying they would prefer a diplomatic solution to the situation. However, Saddam Hussein, in his announcment over Baghdad radio, did not offer any such solutions leading most analysts to state this was a stalling move intended to give those favoring diplomatic efforts only ammunition to delay military action. The George Washington is due to reach the Gulf by th 19th of November.

By December, the inspectors were back on the job, however so called "Presidential Palaces" were deemed off limits. Although tensions seemed to have lessened somewhat, Iraqi rhetoric included removal of all sanctions.

In January of 1998, inspectors had uncovered possible leads into prisoners being used as test subjects for chemical and/or biological agents. When an American led team moved to interview and inspect documents and visit these facilities, they were blocked by the Iraqis. Once again UNSCOM officials briefed the U.N. Security Council and the crisis appeared to have begun again. Iraqis denied such tests and reiterarted their desire to have sanctions lifted by a date determined by Iraq regardless of compliance to the U.N. Resolutions.

By the end of January, it was clear that Iraq was using this as another tactic of delay, and when UNSCOM teams were once again being denied access, the teams officially notified the U.N. Security Council that they were no longer able to monitor and verify the absence of production of weapons of mass destruction.

In early February, 1998, the third U.S. carrier battle group arrived in the region, providing the necessary strike power to begin a 1-2 week air attack on Iraqi targets. Russian diplomatic efforts once again proposed a solution, however both the U.N. and the U.S. stated the proposals lacked merit and were just another delaying tactic similar to that conducted in late November, 1997. The U.S. appeared to be making attack plans in earnest.

milnet@milnet.com