U.S., Israel to Conduct Joint Military Exercises

Feb. 18, 2001 -- Iraq reported firing at U.S. and British warplanes patrolling Iraq's southern no-fly-zone today as the Israeli army announced American and Israeli forces would conduct six days of joint military exercises.

Starting Monday in southern Israel, the two forces will practice firing Patriot missiles, the same missiles that failed to stop most of the 39 Iraq Scud missiles fired at Israel during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Most scud missiles struck neighborhoods in and around Tel Aviv.

"The exercise has been planned for over a year and is part of routine U.S.-Israel training designed to validate interoperability of air defense systems," the army said in a statement released today.

Although Israel says it is taking seriously Saddam Hussein's threat to retaliate against Friday's air strikes by U.S. and British warplanes, which Iraq says killed two people and injured 20 more, Israel also says it sees no immediate danger.

Yet today, Iraq reported it fired missiles and anti-aircraft guns at U.S. and British warplanes returning on patrol to Iraq's southern no-fly zone for the second time since Friday's deadly air strikes. The United States denies Iraq fired at the patrols.

Since shortly after the end of the Gulf War, American and British planes have patrolled the no-fly zones over northern and southern Iraq to enforce a ban on Iraqi aircarft.

The southern zone was created in August 1992 to protect Shi'a Muslims who rebelled against Baghdad following the Gulf War. In 1998 Iraq refused to recognize the zones, leading to a low-level air conflict since.

The report came as Saddam Hussein met top aides to discuss improvements to anti-aircraft defenses and as 2,000 Iraqis took to the streets of Baghdad for a second day.

Rising Protests

Protesters in Baghdad burned American and Israeli flags in defiance of Friday's attack on Iraqi military targets.

Despite heavy rain, Iraq's Deputy Foreign Minister Nabil Najim joined a crowd of at least 1,000 in the city's center while across Baghdad 1,000 others, some of them children kept home from school, gathered outside the offices of the ruling al-Baath party.

Demonstrators chanted slogans and carried signs protesting what they say is undue Western aggression in the region and an American bias toward Israel. The attack, which took place during the Muslim Sabbath, was viewed by many as an affront to all Arabs.

"This dangerous aggression shows how much the Americans and Britons hate Iraqis and do not respect any international law," Najim told protesters. "This aggression must be condemned."

Tone of Defiance

The Iraqi media called for countries that have been critical of the attack to take action against Washington. In a continued tone of defiance, one Iraqi newspaper, Jumhouriya, demanded retaliation for the attack.

Another paper, al-Thawra suggested the appropriate response to the raid was to form an army for a Holy War to "liberate Palestine."

"The little Bush administration tried to show that it is strong and able to do what the former Clinton administration could not do" said the front page editorial.

The day before Saddam said he planned to form such an army of 21 divisions, about 300,000 soldiers. However, international observers dismissed the announcement as a largely symbolic gesture.

Iraq also called for the United Nations to end economic sanctions. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is set to meet with Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf Feb. 26 and 27 to discuss sanctions and weapons inspections. However, rising tensions have dampened hopes of a breakthrough during the talks.

Bombing Victim Reported to be Wife of Senior Officer

Pentagon sources tell ABCNEWS the air strikes hit seven of their primary objectives, missile control centers, and half of all final targets. The Pentagon has not yet given a final assessment of the strikes, the sources say.

The United States and Britain say the raid was necessary to protect their pilots from being shot down as Iraq's defenses had become more sophisticated and increasingly aggressive.

While Iraqi officials rushed journalists to hospitals where women and children sat bandaged and weary this weekend, they have been less willing to allow the media onto the bombed sites, The Associated Press reported.

According to London's Sunday Telegraph one key command center, the al-Suwayrah site about 40 miles southwest of Baghdad was destroyed during the raid. The site was apparently one of several used to coordinate intensified anti-aircraft attacks on American and British warplanes patrolling the no-fly-zones.

The Telegraph reports a woman killed in the raid and identified as a civilian was the wife of a senior Iraqi air defense officer at the base. The paper didn't say where it obtained its information.

International Criticism Mounts

Meanwhile, international criticism of the attacks continues to mount.

Two NATO allies, France and Turkey, questioned the purpose of attack and expressed dismay they hadn't been told of the raid beforehand.

Russia, China, Cuba and many Arab nations — led by one of theUnited State's usual allies in the region, Egypt — denounced the attack Saturday.

Echoing the words of many Arab leaders, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa described the raid as "a serious negative step that we cannot accept, nor understand its reasons, which run counter to Iraq's safety and sovereignty."

Despite ongoing United Nations economic sanctions, an Egyptian delegation of 160 businessmen arrived in Iraq today where they are expected to discuss implementing a free trade agreement signed by both countries last month.

Vietnam, Spain and Yemen were among the latest governments to condemn or criticize the air strikes, all saying they serve no purpose other than strengthening Saddam Hussein's power. Vietnam also became the latest of many countries to defy the air embargo on Iraq and send a planeload of humanitarian and medical supplies to Baghdad.

No More Attacks For the Moment

Pentagon officials told ABCNEWS today that further attacks on Baghdad were unlikely for the moment. But if the Iraqi military continued targeting American and British planes with radar and firing anti-aircraft missiles there could be another raid.

President Bush said Friday the attack, the strongest in two years, was part of routine enforcement of the northern and southern no-fly-zones in Iraq. The Bush administration says it is only enforcing the agreement Saddam signed at the end of the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

In a statement released Saturday British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday's attack was necessary to reduce the chances of American and British planes patrolling the no-fly zones being shot down.

"Operations such as the one [Friday] would not be needed if Saddam stopped attacking us. But as long as he does, I will continue to take the steps necessary to protect our forces and to prevent Saddam from once again wreaking havoc, suffering and death."

ABCNEWS Radio's Kate Bouey in London and John Cooley in Athens, the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.