He showed before and after photographs of two facilities in Baghdad, the Iraqi capital. The first, a military intelligence center, provided information that helped Iraqi officials obstruct U.N. weapons inspectors. The second housed a Republican Guard headquarters and barracks. They're part of the apparatus Saddam uses to maintain control of his weapons of mass destruction facilities. The night's air strikes reduced both facilities to rubble.
Missiles heavily damage four of the five barracks.
Shelton said all allied pilots and air crews returned safely from the first night's strikes. There was no opposition from Iraqi aircraft, he added. Cohen and Shelton praised U.S. forces for their professionalism and thanked the British for their strong support. At the time of the briefing, Shelton said, strikes were again under way. The second day's operations involved land-based aircraft, British Tornado attack aircraft, as well as Navy and Marine strike sorties from the deck of the USS Enterprise, he said.