US planes bomb Iraq radar

Agence France-Presse ^ | March 10, 2003

[Indy Pendance]

US warplanes bombed a mobile radar for a surface-to-air missile system in Iraq's western desert in the latest air strikes against Iraqi air defences, the US military has said.

The US Central Command said the mobile radar was south of Ar Rutbah, the site of an Iraqi airfield that protected the western approaches to Baghdad.

The area was used to launch Scud missiles against Israel and Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War, and was expected to be a major focus of activity by Scud-hunting US and British special operations forces in the event of war.

"The coalition executed today's strike after Iraqi forces moved the highly-mobile radar system, which is associated with a surface-to-air missile system ... into the southern no-fly zone where it was a threat to coalition aircraft supporting Operation Southern Watch," the command said.

The strike came a day after a coalition warplane struck five underground military communications sites near An Numinayah, about 95km east of Baghdad.

Meanwhile, coalition aircraft dropped leaflets in northern Iraq for only the second time ever, warning Iraqi gunners not to track or fire on US and British air patrols, the US European Command said.

"Any hostile action by Iraqi air defences toward coalition aircraft will be answered by immediate retaliation," the leaflets said.

"Iraqi air defence positions which fire on coalition aircraft or activate air defence radar will be attacked and destroyed."

About 240,000 leaflets were dropped in two locations - south of Tall Afar and southwest of Saddam lake, the command said.

[kcvl]

Confusing the enemy?

[Slip18]

"About 240,000 leaflets were dropped in two locations - south of Tall Afar and southwest of Saddam lake, the command said."

Didn't we do that to Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

[humblegunner]

US warplanes bombed a mobile radar for a surface-to-air missile system in Iraq's western desert in the latest air strikes against Iraqi air defences, the US military has said.

Good. Let's do more.

[Little Bill]

Me thinks that there is a bit of artfull misdirection going on. We keep looking at the UN and the action maybe else where.

[rs79bm]

No wonder we're in no hurry to go to war. We're already at war! Did you hear that CBS??? We're already at war! In one breathe CBS claims to not want war, and in the next breathe brag that they have correspondants plastered all over Baghdad. We don't war, but if we do go to war, keep it right here on CBS!!!

[anniegetyourgun]

Saddam Lake? What in that nation ISN'T named after this bloody freak? Here's to hoping we are just a short war away from allowing these people to strip all his pictures, monuments, statues, and name from everything in the land.

[Indy Pendance]

I do believe you're on to something. I've been saying all along, the war has started, it just has not been 'offically' announced.

[glock rocks]

yup.

[PhilDragoo]

[GLDNGUN]

This is obviously propaganda put out by that "frat boy" Bush who doesn't want his base to think he can't keep his word. I mean, so many Freepers "know" Bush doesn't have the cajones to pull the trigger here, so this can't be true can it? How can the war already have started when so many Freepers "know" their isn't going to be a war at all? I'm so confused. (/sarcasm)

[P.O.E.]

The war may even be over before the beginning is announced.

[tomahawk]

Excellent. Excellent.

[kcvl]

Posted on Mon, Mar. 10, 2003

Navy Group Commander Says Ready for War
GEORGE JAHN
Associated Press

ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT - The commander of a U.S. Navy battle group cruising the eastern Mediterranean on Monday said his ships are ready to strike in "no time at all" if ordered and are on alert for terrorist attack in case of war with Iraq.

Rear Adm. John C. Harvey Jr., told reporters that his more than 15-ship battle group could reach "hundreds of miles" inland from its Mediterranean position with cruise missiles, combat aircraft and other types of weapons.

"We train the way we fight, and we fight the way we train," Harvey said. Pilots and sailors now performing training missions "would not know the difference except for the kind of ordnance that's being put on the airplanes."

President Bush has massed a huge force of troops, planes and ships in the Middle East to back up the threat of war against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein for allegedly failing to disarm.

But the United States and Britain continued to struggle Monday to gather enough support on the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution setting a March 17 ultimatum for Saddam to disarm or face war.

While warning against the assumption that hostilities were unavoidable, Harvey said his crews were prepared for "asymmetric threats" in the wake of the Sept. 11 al-Qaida terror attacks.

"I don't expect this to be like the Battle of Midway," he said, referring to one of the major World War II naval conflicts between Japanese and U.S. fleets. Still, he warned against dismissing Iraq as a non-threat to naval operations, despite being vastly outgunned by the United States.

"I am deadly serious about not writing off anybody because they don't have an oceangoing navy or they don't have an air force that can fly out for thousands of miles and carry a variety of air-launched cruise missiles," he said. "That would be arrogant ... That's how you get surprised, and that's how you lose."

He referred to the October 2000 terrorist bombing in Yemen of the USS Cole, which killed 17 sailors, as an example of the risks faced by U.S. Navy ships as Washington continues its military buildup in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.

"The Cole is just a dramatic reminder to us of what can happen," he said. "You have to retain the same dramatic level of intensity to the ship's internal and external security 24 hours a day."

Harvey's warning was echoed by Britain's naval commander in the Gulf, Rear Adm. David Snelson, who told British reporters that al-Qaida suicide boats will likely become a bigger danger in case of war with Iraq.

"We know that al-Qaida are active within this region," Snelson said. "We know ... that they have had, and may still have, plans to attack ships at sea."

The USS Abraham Lincoln and its complement of warships is also in the Mediterranean along with Harvey's battle group, while three additional carrier-led battle groups are in the Gulf and another one is one the way.

[Indy Pendance]

I know. It's complete and total defeat.....Oh, whoa is me!

[Little Bill]

Kinda like the noise before the Afgan, thing?

[Indy Pendance]

Thanks, notice how they have to squeeze the resolution into every story?

[uncbob]

What the hell is going on

Sadddan knows that every time he moves one of these things it get knocked out

Something doesn't make sense

[cake_crumb]

LOL! US forces bombed an Iraqi radar site?? Well, Bush just lost MY vote! The press says it'll be months and the coalition is falling apart!! How dare President Bush waver on the left's position?!?!

[Indy Pendance]

Provoking the US. It's the only thing that makes sense. If we destroy something close to the border of the no-fly zone, saddam can claim we attacked him first?