# 99046. Pentagon Confirms Strike on Iraqi Neighborhood

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By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. missile fired at an Iraqi radar site Jan. 25 
went astray and exploded in a residential neighborhood near the 
city of Basra in southern Iraq. 

At the time, U.S. forces were responding to provocative attacks 
against coalition aircraft by targeting elements of Saddam 
Hussein's air defense system, Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said 
here Jan. 26.

"We have analyzed yesterday's information and found that an AGM-
130 did miss its target and exploded in a residential 
neighborhood several kilometers away from its target," Bacon 
said. Other ordnance fired during the incident hit the military 
targets at which they were directed, he added.

Defense officials have no independent estimate of casualties or 
fatalities resulting from the errant strike, Bacon noted. 

Coalition forces take every step possible to avoid targeting 
civilians or creating collateral damage, Bacon stressed. "We are 
not attacking the people of Iraq. We have no animus against them 
whatsoever. In fact, we have a lot of sympathy for the people of 
Iraq. But we are attacking a large air defense system being used 
in an attempt to defeat the policing of the no-fly zones." 

Central Command officials are still investigating why the 
missile missed its mark. "Precision-guided munitions, while 
highly accurate, are not infallible," Bacon remarked. 

Shortly after the Jan. 25 attack, U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Anthony 
C. Zinni, commander of U.S. Central Command and Operation 
Southern Watch, met with reporters at the Pentagon. He said 
Saddam Hussein is ultimately responsible for any civilian 
casualties related to coalition air strikes against Iraqi air 
defense sites.

The commander noted that Hussein has increased the possibility 
of collateral damage by placing his air defense systems, 
military forces and aircraft in close proximity to civilians. 
This use of human shields, he said, "clearly points out his 
disregard and lack of care about his own population." 

"We deeply regret any civilian casualties, regardless of what 
the cause may be, but these exchanges have been initiated by 
Saddam Hussein," Zinni said, and "No one can guarantee that 
these strikes will not have errors or that we might not have 
errant ordnance."

In the Jan. 25 incident, Central Command officials said, two 
U.S. Air Force F-15Es and four F/A-18s patrolling the southern 
no-fly zone responded to threats from anti-aircraft artillery 
and four Iraqi MiG fighters. They responded by dropping 
precision-guided munitions and launching ground-attack missiles. 
All coalition aircraft returned safely to base.

Since Operation Desert Fox in mid-December, U.S. officials 
report, the Iraqis have tripled the number of anti-aircraft 
missile batteries in the south and have stepped up the pace, 
intensity and coordination of their air defenses in the north 
and south.

Iraq's air defense system consists of jet fighters, anti-
aircraft gun and missile batteries, radars and early warning 
systems and communications, Zinni explained. In recent weeks, 
more than 100 Iraqi aircraft committed more than 70 no-fly 
violations, the Iraqis have fired missiles at coalition planes 
in nearly 20 incidents, plus fired anti-aircraft artillery and 
targeted coalition planes with radar.

"It's evident to us that this entire system has been centrally 
controlled and turned on to oppose our enforcement of the no-fly 
sanctions, both north and south," he said. "We view this threat 
as centralized and deliberate, and we view the entire air 
defense system that's being set against us as the objective in 
any response that we take." 

Iraq's declared objective, according to Zinni, is to violate the 
no-fly zones and to shoot down coalition aircraft. One can only 
speculate about Hussein's purpose, whether it's to parade an 
American pilot in Baghdad or to drum up support among other Arab 
leaders, he said.

"We've seen packages of [Iraqi] airplanes, two and three per 
flight, coming down in coordinated fashion, working in 
cooperation with surface-to-air missile -- SAM -- batteries, 
trying to lure our plane into what has become known as 
'SAMbushes,'" he said. U.S. pilots do not fall for the bait, and 
Iraqi pilots are quick to leave the zones.

Overall, Zinni remarked, these incursions may be acts of 
desperation on Hussein's part. "What's the cure for this?" the 
general asked. "A post-Saddam regime."

Central Command officials said 12 Iraqi fighters committed five 
no-fly violations in the south and one in the north Jan. 25. 
Along with the reactive strike in Basra, other incidents 
occurred where Iraqis in the north targeted coalition patrol 
aircraft and fired on them with anti-aircraft artillery. Zinni 
said U.S. aircraft struck back, firing on missile batteries and 
other air defense facilities in the north and south.

European Command officials said, coalition aircraft again struck 
radar sites in the north Jan. 26 in response to Iraqi threats. 
In one incident, a U.S. Marine Corps EA-6B fired a missile at an 
Iraqi radar after being targeted. In three other, separate 
engagements, Air Force F-15E fighters attacked air defense sites 
with precision-guided munitions or missiles after being targeted 
by Iraqi radar.

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