Warplanes of the United States and Britain bombed southern Iraq on Monday [2002.04.16]. The hostile planes made a total of 37 armed sorties over Iraq’s southern provinces of Thi-Qar, Muthana and Najaf. U.S. President George W. Bush has branded Iraq as part of an “axis of evil” and strongly warned that Iraq may become the next target of the U.S.-led war on terror.
2002.04.16
Warplanes of the United States and Britain bombed southern Iraq on Monday [2002.04.16], an Iraqi military spokesman said, without mentioning if there were any casualties.
The unidentified spokesman told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA)that at 11:45 (0745 GMT) and 15:05 (1105 GMT) local time, the hostile planes made a total of 37 armed sorties over Iraq’s southern provinces of Thi-Qar, Muthana and Najaf.
The U.S. and British planes bombed “civil and service installations” in the Thi-Qar Province, the spokesman added.
Thi-Qar Province, along with other six provinces in southern Iraq, have been located inside the southern no-fly zone, set up by the U.S.-led Western allies after the 1991 Gulf War with the claimed aim of protecting the Shiite Muslims from the persecution of the Iraqi government.
A similar air exclusion zone was also established in northern Iraq to allegedly protect the Kurdish population there.
Iraq has never recognized the two no-fly zones and has regularly opened fire at the Western planes enforcing them.
U.S. President George W. Bush has branded Iraq as part of an “axis of evil” and strongly warned that Iraq may become the next target of the U.S.-led war on terror.
When was the last time the U.S. Bombed Iraq? – http://www.ccmep.org/us_bombing_watch.html
Author: Xinhuanet
News Service: U.S. Bombing Watch
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