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RAF bombs Iraq over US spy drone
The Daily Telegraph ^ | December 27, 2002 | Toby Harnden

Posted on 12/26/2002 5:57:07 PM PST by MadIvan

British and American jets pounded Iraqi command and communication targets in southern Iraq yesterday in retaliation for the shooting down of an American Air Force Predator drone.

The dawn strikes came after an Iraqi MiG-25 fighter shot down the drone, conducting reconnaissance near Al Kut in eastern Iraq, on Monday.

It was believed that the MiG was directed from the positions bombed yesterday.

"Coalition strikes in the no-fly zones are executed as a self-defence measure in response to Iraqi hostile threats and acts against coalition forces and their aircraft," US Central Command said.

Baghdad claimed that the strikes killed three civilians and injured 16 others, and had destroyed a mosque.

The rise in tension over the southern no-fly zone came amid increasing signs of preparations for a war that Baghdad and Washington believe is inevitable.

Mohammed Mehdi Saleh, the Iraqi trade minister, said his country had increased food rations so that its citizens could stock up before the conflict began so that they would have enough supplies to last three months.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: blair; bush; iraq; raf; saddam; uk; us
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With you at the first, with you to the last.

Regards, Ivan


1 posted on 12/26/2002 5:57:07 PM PST by MadIvan
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To: BigWaveBetty; widgysoft; Da_Shrimp; BlueAngel; JeanS; schmelvin; MJY1288; terilyn; Ryle; ...
Bump!
2 posted on 12/26/2002 5:57:45 PM PST by MadIvan
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To: MadIvan
Baghdad claimed that the strikes killed three civilians and injured 16 others, and had destroyed a mosque

What!!??? No puppies??

3 posted on 12/26/2002 6:01:36 PM PST by zarf
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To: MadIvan
With you at the first, with you to the last.

thanks ... with those big engines (Tumansky?) I can't believe a Foxbat could slow down enough to attack the drone ...
4 posted on 12/26/2002 6:04:09 PM PST by Bobby777
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To: MadIvan
Other than that little war, you have been good allies.

Well, that, and burning down our presidential palace.

Oh, and those intollerable acts ...

DIE, BRIT!

LOL

5 posted on 12/26/2002 6:05:03 PM PST by patton
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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: zarf
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri charged tonight that British and American fighter planes had deliberately targeted a kennel of puppies in the latest raid.

``We are no longer afraid. We are right. It's better to die once and for all after living in humiliation daily from America. We can't take this any more. We die, and our puppies die, every day,'' he said.

7 posted on 12/26/2002 6:08:39 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: zarf
Baghdad claimed that the strikes killed three civilians and injured 16 others, and had destroyed a mosque.

If it's any consolation, we can claim the Iraqi downing of the drone killed three midget aviators and injured the eardrums of another 20 monitoring its flight. However, I doubt they would print such a claim.

8 posted on 12/26/2002 6:12:13 PM PST by Cvengr
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To: MadIvan
Mohammed Mehdi Saleh, the Iraqi trade minister, said his country had increased food rations so that its citizens could stock up before the conflict began so that they would have enough supplies to last three months.

Yeah right. Like they've ever had three months of anything.

America's Fifth Column ... watch Steve Emerson/PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
New Link: Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

Who is Steve Emerson?

9 posted on 12/26/2002 6:17:19 PM PST by JCG
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To: MadIvan
The attack on the Predator drone would have come from this airbase:

Kut Al Hayy Airbase is located in southern Iraq approximately 230 kilometers Southeast of Baghdad and 32 kilometers Southeast of the city of Kut. The airfield is served by one main runway measuring 9,800 feet. Kut Al Hayy has hardened aircraft shelters at each end of the runway.  http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/kut-al-hayy-east.htm

Yet the bombing response did not mention the airbase. British and American jets pounded Iraqi command and communication targets in southern Iraq yesterday in retaliation for the shooting down of an American Air Force Predator drone.

The infiltration of Iraq continues.

 

10 posted on 12/26/2002 6:27:03 PM PST by wretchard
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To: zarf
They for gotto print: WOMEN AND MINORITIES HARDEST HIT!
11 posted on 12/26/2002 6:32:15 PM PST by oyez
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To: MadIvan
Baghdad claimed that the strikes killed three civilians and injured 16 others, and had destroyed a mosque

Gotta love those smart bombs.

12 posted on 12/26/2002 6:36:34 PM PST by FourPeas
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To: MadIvan
"...destroyed a mosque."

LINKS OF INTEREST:

An Interesting Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding this article by Philip Sherwell ad David Wastell posted on www.OPINION.TELEGRAPH.co.uk: "SADDAM 'HIDING THE WEAPONS IN MOSQUES'" (111702)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com (AP): "IRAQ TAKES DELIVERY OF POWDER USED IN CHEMICAL ARMS" (ARTICLES SNIPPETS: "Iraqi scientists know how to make chemical weapons that can penetrate military protective clothing, and Iraq imported up to 25 metric tons last month of a powder that is a crucial ingredient to such "dusty" weapons. Iraq told the United Nations the powder was destined for a pharmaceutical company."..."The powder, sold under the brand name Aerosil...") (111802)

BBC NEWS: "IRAQIS 'INFILTRATED UK GERM LABS'" (111602)

TIMES ONLINE.co.uk: "SADDAM PAYS GADDAFI $3 BILLION TO GIVE HIS FAMILY SAFE HAVEN IN LIBYA" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Word of Saddam's deal with the Libyan leader has emerged from diplomatic sources in Tripoli following a visit to the Libyan capital on September 8 by General Ali Hasan al-Majid, a cousin and trusted member of Saddam's clan. General al-Majid is known by the Kurds of northern Iraq as "Chemical Ali" because he was in charge of the Iraqi forces which launched a chemical weapons attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988. He was also initially the "Governor" of Kuwait after Iraq's invasion of the Gulf state in August 1990, and is now one of the Baath Party regional command leaders. He is believed to have travelled to Tripoli to deliver a personal missive from Saddam to the Libyan leader, confirming the arrangements for his family.") (111602)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "BAGHDAD INCREASES RANGE OF SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES" by Bill Gertz (111502)

FOX NEWS.com: "IRAQ STOCKPILING GAS ANTIDOTE" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The fate of 31,600 chemical munitions, 550 mustard gas bombs and 4,000 tons of chemical precursors remain unknown, according to Congressional Research Services. In fact, the primary remaining chemical weapons questions center on the VX nerve agent, which atropine can be used to counter. By 1995, UNSCOM uncovered enough evidence to force Iraq to admit to producing about 4 tons of VX, but UNSCOM thought the country had imported enough material to actually produce 200 tons of VX, according to CRS.") (111202)

MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE: "IRAQ PREPARES MISSILE, AIRCRAFT NEAR SAUDI BORDER" (October, 2002)

13 posted on 12/26/2002 8:03:39 PM PST by Cindy
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To: wretchard
The attack on the Predator drone would have come from this airbase:

How do you know it came from this airbase?

Yet the bombing response did not mention the airbase. "British and American jets pounded Iraqi command and communication targets in southern Iraq yesterday in retaliation for the shooting down of an American Air Force Predator drone."

The infiltration of Iraq continues.

Please elaborate on this.

14 posted on 12/26/2002 8:04:28 PM PST by FreeReign
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To: Dog Gone
We promise, NO MORE PUPPIES.
They need more brides now that most of the camels are gone.
15 posted on 12/26/2002 8:05:39 PM PST by YOMO
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To: zarf
What!!??? No puppies??

I believe that your question was answered by the following statement:

"Mohammed Mehdi Saleh, the Iraqi trade minister, said his country had increased food rations so that its citizens could stock up before the conflict began so that they would have enough supplies to last three months."

16 posted on 12/26/2002 8:11:58 PM PST by GallopingGhost
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To: MadIvan
Jolly good show!
17 posted on 12/26/2002 8:28:11 PM PST by sheik yerbouty
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To: FreeReign

The dawn strikes came after an Iraqi MiG-25 fighter shot down the drone, conducting reconnaissance near Al Kut in eastern Iraq, on Monday.

The airbase described is on the outskirts of Al Kut. Of course, the airplane could have come from elsewhere, but it is not unreasonable to suppose that it originated from the nearest airfield to the point of interception to minimize exposure to US fighter aircraft. Moreover, the airfield in question is long enough to support Mig-29 fighters, and has hardened aircraft shelters at each end of the runway, presumably so that the Iraqi Migs can duck under cover without having to taxi a long way.

You will also observe that the retaliation did not specifically mention going after any airbase or airplanes themselves. During the Clinton administration, US aircraft were allowed to destroy the proximate cause of danger -- air defense radars and launchers which locked onto them. Recently, the Administration has allowed the airmen to strike at the deeper mechanisms of resistance: command and control centers; communications nodes, etc. Hence, "British and American jets pounded Iraqi command and communication targets in southern Iraq".

One can speak of the infiltration of Iraq as the process of gradually inserting forces into the Kurdish North, or among the Marsh Arabs of the south, as well as severely degrading the nerve centers of Iraqi resistance. For example, the fiber-optic cables to Basra were recently cut by bombing. Leaflet drops into Iraq have started. Typically leaflet drops are in support of activated guerilla groups.

I hope this helps.

18 posted on 12/26/2002 8:53:52 PM PST by wretchard
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To: patton; MadIvan
They were a trifle upset with us considering that we also burnt down the houses of government in Canada not long prior to the Brits burning our capitol. They were in quite a huff just because our lads got a bit careless with some matches.

Perhaps Guy Fauks was not that bad a dude after all. LOL.

It is good to see the Brits and us on the right side of this. Mad Ivan is good man, and the good guys (Most of the English speaking world) will win this long war against terror.

19 posted on 12/26/2002 9:04:18 PM PST by cpdiii
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To: MadIvan
I wonder why they can't fly a combat air patrol around the drones with the intention of luring one of the Iraqi fighters up there so they can nail it? Maybe the RAF and USAF figure they will have ample opportunity to destroy them on the ground.

I wonder what the pilot of the Iraqi Mig 25 painted on the side of his aircraft to signify his "kill" in air-to-air combat against the cunning predator drone?

20 posted on 12/26/2002 9:09:14 PM PST by eeman
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