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Boucher Statement on the Resumption of Flights Inside Iraq

 

"Recent humanitarian flights to Baghdad have heightened our continuing
concern for the safety of aircraft operating anywhere within Iraqi
territory or airspace," said Richard Boucher, U.S. Department of State
spokesperson, on November 3.

He expressed concern over Iraq's aggressive activities south of 33
degrees north latitude and north of 36 degrees north latitude.Boucher
said, "it is important that any foreign aircraft that do fly to or
from
Iraq avoid these areas and proceed only through the safest possible
air
corridors between 33 and 36 degrees north latitude."

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesman

For Immediate ReleaseNovember 3, 2000

STATEMENT BY SPOKESMAN RICHARD BOUCHER

REGULATIONS GOVERNING FLIGHTS TO IRAQ

Recent humanitarian flights to Baghdad have heightened our continuing
concern for the safety of aircraft operating anywhere within Iraqi
territory or airspace.We are particularly concerned because of
aggressive Iraqi activities south of 33 degrees north latitude and
north
of 36 degrees north latitude; it is important that any foreign
aircraft
that do fly to or from Iraq avoid these areas and proceed only through
the safest possible air corridors between 33 and 36 degrees north
latitude.

In order to help ensure persons and organizations considering
humanitarian flights are informed of circumstances and dangers
relevant
to air operations within Iraq, we draw attention to the U.S. Federal
Aviation Administration's Special Federal Aviation Regulation 77 (SFAR
77) regarding Iraq.Effective since 1996, SFAR 77 prohibits U.S. flight
operations over or within the territory and airspace of Iraq because
of
the threat of harm and undue hazard to civil aircraft. While SFAR 77
applies to U.S. air carriers and commercial and private operators, it
serves more broadly as a timely and relevant warning of the dangers of
flight operations in Iraq.SAFR 77 continues in full effect and states
in
part:

On September 3, 1996, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein urged his air
defense forces to . . . attack "any air target of the aggressors."
This
threat was not limited specifically to the aircraft of the U.S.
military
and the coalition forces.The threat could also apply to any civilian
aircraft that might attempt to enter the area.[T]he Iraqi military
still
possesses a wide range of sophisticated weapons that potentially could
be used to attack civil aviation aircraft overflying Iraq at cruising
altitudes.

Foreign aircraft that do fly to or from Iraq should at all times while
in Iraqi airspace remain on air corridors between 33 and 36 degrees
north latitude.We caution that the areas of Iraq south of 33 degrees
north latitude and north of 36 degrees north latitude are areas of
continuous military operations and present significant dangers to
aircraft and passengers.Iraqi military ground forces have widely
deployed anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles
throughout
these areas and routinely fire on patrolling coalition aircraft.We
advise any aircraft operating in Iraq to avoid these areas completely.

Foreign aircraft operators proposing to conduct flight operations to
or
from Iraq should comply fully with United Nations Security Council
resolutions and all applicable UN Iraq Sanctions Committee procedures.

Persons and organizations seeking further information on SFAR 77, may
wish to visit the FAA's website at www.intl.faa.gov.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State.Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)