Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS,
UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101
Phone: (813) 828-5894; FAX: (813) 840-5629; DSN 968-5894
November 18, 1999
RELEASE NUMBER: 99-11-04
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE IRAQI MILITARY RADAR SITE
MACDILL AFB, FL - - At approximately 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time today, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornet" enforcing the Southern No-Fly Zone used precision guided munitions to strike an Iraqi military radar site approximately 245 miles southeast of Baghdad near the city of Al Basrah.
All coalition aircraft have returned safely and battle damage assessment is ongoing.
Saddam Hussein continues to order his forces to shoot down coalition aircraft patrolling the No-Fly Zones. The strike against the Iraqi military radar site today was intended to degrade Iraq's ability to threaten coalition aircraft, while minimizing the potential for collateral damage and risk to civilians.
To date, there have been more than 360 separate incidents of Iraqi Anti-Aircraft Artillery and surface-to-air missile fire directed at coalition pilots. Iraqi aircraft have violated the Southern No-Fly Zone more than 140 times since Operation Desert Fox, including three separate incidents yesterday. Our actions today were an appropriate response to reduce this threat to U.S. and coalition aircraft patrolling the Southern No-Fly Zone in support of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
11/18/99 2:11:12 PM
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