DATE=12/18/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-243279
TITLE=IRAQ / ATTACKS (L-ONITER)
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=PENTAGON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PENTAGON SPOKESMAN KENNETH BACON SAYS U-S OFFICIALS ARE
EVALUATING THE RESULTS OF A THIRD NIGHT OF BOMBING ATTACKS ON
IRAQ. HE SAYS NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO END THE RAIDS. A
TOP IRAQI OFFICIAL SAYS MANY SITES MONITORED BY U-N WEAPONS
INSPECTORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN HIT. BUT V-O-A'S JIM RANDLE REPORTS
FROM THE PENTAGON, U-S OFFICIALS SAY MANY BOMBS AND MISSILES
MISSED THEIR MARKS.
TEXT: PENTAGON OFFICIALS SAY IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO FULLY
ASSESS THE DAMAGE FROM THE MASSIVE BOMBING RAIDS. BUT A TOP
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER SAYS SOME HIGH-PRIORITY TARGETS WERE
UNSCATHED IN THE FIRST TWO NIGHTS OF MISSILE AND BOMB ATTACKS.
OUT OF 27 CRITICAL AIR-DEFENSE FACILITIES TARGETED, EIGHT WERE
REPORTED UNHURT, SEVERAL WERE DAMAGED AND ONLY ONE WAS DESTROYED.
RECONNAISSANCE EXPERTS ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
HAPPENED TO HALF THE TARGETS. OFFICIALS SAY OVERALL, IRAQI AIR
DEFENSES WERE "DEGRADED" IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY.
TELEVISION AND RADIO TRANSMITTERS WERE BADLY DAMAGED, AS WERE
BARRACKS HOUSING THE IRAQI REPUBLICAN GUARD.
BUT AMERICA'S TOP GENERAL, HUGH SHELTON, SAYS SOME IRAQI TARGETS
WERE HIT VERY HARD. GRAINY GRAY VIDEO (FILM) FROM WAR PLANES
SHOWS BOMBS STREAKING TOWARD BUILDINGS, WHICH THEN DISAPPEAR IN A
CLOUD OF SMOKE AND DUST. GENERAL SHELTON ALSO DISPLAYED PICTURES
OF HEAVILY-DAMAGED BUILDINGS WHERE IRAQ ONCE DEVELOPED AND BUILT
MISSILES.
/// SHELTON ACT ///
IT WAS THE FABRICATION [MANUFACTURING] BUILDING THAT IS
SHOWN RIGHT HERE. YOU CAN SEE THE DARK AREA, AND THE
FINAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING WHICH USED TO STAND RIGHT HERE.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A BUILDING JUST
OUTSIDE THE FABRICAITON.
/// END ACT ///
GENERAL SHELTON SAYS U-S PLANES DROPPED LEAFLETS AS WELL AS
BOMBS.
THE PAPERS FLUTTESED TO THE GROUND NEAR IRAQI SOLDIERS STATIONED
IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY, NEAR KUWAIT. THE SHEETS OF
PAPER SHOW GRIM PICTURES OF WRECKED IRAQI TANKS, WITH AN ARABIC
MESSAGE TELLING IRAQI SOLDIERS THEY WILL NOT BE ATTACKED IF
THEY STAY IN PLACE AND DO NOT ATTACK KUWAIT.
B-ONE BOMBER PILOT STEVE WOLEROSAY [WOOL-'LOHR-SAY] WAS ON A
DIFFERENT KIND OF MISSION. HIS JOB WAS TO LEVEL A MILITARY
COMPLEX SOMEWHERE NEAR BAGHDAD.
/// WOLEROSAY ACT ///
WE DO BRING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF FIREPOWER TO BEAR.
WE HAVE A PRETTY LARGE CAPACITY OF WEAPONS WE CAN CARRY.
WE DO OFFER A LOT OF CAPABILITY.
/// END ACT ///
THE B-ONE CAN CARRY 84 225-KILOGRAM BOMBS AT SUPERSONIC SPEED,
AND CROSS OCEANS WITHOUT REFUELING. IT IS THE FIRST TIME THE
CONTROVERSIAL 200-MILLION-DOLLAR PLANE HAS BEEN FLOWN IN COMBAT.
IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WOLEROSAY CALLED THE
EXPERIENCE TENSE, BUT EXHILARATING.
THE U-S LED "OPERATION DESERT FOX" WAS LAUNCHED (AROUND 5 P-M
WEDNESDAY WASHINGTON TIME) AFTER U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS
COMPLAINED IRAQ WAS STILL BLOCKING THEIR ACCESS TO POSSIBLE
WEAPONS SITES. (SIGNED)
NEB/JR/WTW
18-Dec-98 9:33 PM EST (0233 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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