ACCESSION NUMBER:00000
FILE ID:97020402.POL
DATE:02/04/97
TITLE:04-02-97 DEFENSE DEPARTMENT REPORT, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4
TEXT:
(Iraqi missiles) (220)
U.S. BELIEVES IRAQ IS HIDING SCUD MISSILES
Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon the U.S. believes that Iraq possesses an
operational capability of 18 to 25 Scud missiles, some of which have
been hidden.
"This is against the sanctions" levied against Iraq by the United
Nations following the Persian Gulf war," he said.
Bacon was answering questions prompted by a German newspaper report
suggesting that the U.S. might consider launching a cruise missile
strike against Iraq for developing missiles.
The spokesman said Iraq "has been notable" for its lack of compliance
with U.N. Security Council resolutions such as failing to grant full
access to U.N. inspectors, to return captured Kuwaiti equipment, and
fully account for missing Kuwaitis after the 1991 war. "We think it
would be wise," Bacon said, "for Saddam (Hussein) to comply" with the
resolutions. U.N. sanctions prohibit Iraq from building missiles.
While declining to describe what future U.S. military actions might be
taken, the spokesman said, "We have shown time and...again that we are
prepared to protect U.S. forces and...our interests in the Gulf."
He said the U.S. currently has a substantial force of between 20,000
and 21,000 U.S. military personnel in the region, indicating that
there is "nothing abnormal" about that level of force in the Gulf.
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