a berlin blog
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a berlin blog |
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Thursday, September 12, 2002 Action in IraqIn his speech to the UN about action in Iraq, says the NY Times, "Mr. Bush did not spell out what form that action would take." But the September 8 entry on Debkafile gives a pretty good idea. In particular:The massive US-UK air raid last Friday, September 6, by 100 fighter-bombers, reconnaissance and air tanker craft against the Iraqi air base cluster known as H-3 and the al Baghdadi air installation was Strike Number Two against the first line of Iraqi air and air defense command structures, the tactical prelude to any US offensive. It was also the first blow to systems for delivering Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. "Strike Number One" happened a month before, on August 5 -- the first big blow to Iraqi air defense. It was pointed out on Radio Free Mike a few days later. What's interesting is that the Debka people don't repeat that odd story about waves of Allied planes "buzzing Baghdad," argued about on this blog. But U.S. Central Command verifies the airstrikes themselves (scroll to the bottom). Another part of the Debka report is even more interesting: To date, American and allied Turkish special forces have gained control of some 15 percent of Iraqi soil – mostly in the north. They are poised at a point 10-15 miles from Iraq’s two northern oil cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, together with pro-American Kurdish and Turkman paramilitary groups, with no Iraqi force in the way of their advance, if ordered to occupy the two towns. Those UN speeches are just shadow-boxing. posted by Michael Scott Moore | 9:52 PM | |
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