U.S./BRITAIN BOMB CIVILIAN TARGETS IN IRAQ

By Gery Armsby

22 Aug 2000--U.S. and British warplanes attacked sites in northern Iraq Aug. 15. This followed heavy bombardment in southern Iraq Aug. 10-12.

The air strikes killed two civilians and injured more than 20 others. They also destroyed a train station, several homes and a food rations storage and distribution facility that warehoused food allowed into Iraq under the United Nations oil-for-food program.

The Pentagon claimed the jets were targeting anti-aircraft artillery sites.

In almost daily bombing raids, U.S./British maneuvers have killed over 200 Iraqi civilians and wounded more than 800 since December 1998. At that time, a torrent of Pentagon bombs rained on Iraq for four straight days.

The two imperialist powers claim to be enforcing so-called "no-flight zones," which they imposed on Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War. Baghdad has protested the no-flight zones, pointing out that the unilateral constraints violate Iraqi sovereignty.

The zones cover most of the northern and southern portions of the country, restricting Iraqis from flying over two- thirds of their own air space.

The latest bombings by the United States and Britain occurred in these zones: in the city of Samawa, 175 miles south of Baghdad; and near Mosul, 250 miles to the northeast of the Iraqi capital.

At an Aug. 13 Baghdad news conference, Iraqi Air Defense Commander Lt. Gen. Shaheen Yassin Ahmad said, "I expect them to intensify their activities and aggression."

He also suggested as a pretext for the increased U.S. and British hostilities "their international political failure, the challenge of the Venezuelan president [Hugo Chavez] to their policies and the calls of the world community to stop aggression."

The Iraqi Air Defense Command reported in July that more than 21,600 U.S. and British warplanes have flown into Iraq's air space since December 1998. An average of one bombing or missile attack occurs every three days; Pentagon bombs kill an average of one civilian every other day.

The Pentagon admits to flying over 280,000 sorties since imposing the "no-flight zones."

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