ERRI Risk Assessment Services Thursday, December 17, 1998 Mid-Morning

From the ERRI Watch Center

WASHINGTON (EmergencyNet News) - The United States on Thursday attempted to assess its air strikes against Iraq, vowing to continue pounding Iraqi targets until Saddam Hussein could no longer threaten his neighbors. POTUS launched a series of "strong, sustained" air strikes against Iraqi targets on Wednesday after a United Nations report accused Baghdad of failing once again to comply with international weapons inspections.

Live television pictures from Baghdad showed volleys of anti-aircraft fire blasting into the night sky over the city and sharp explosions could be heard. U.S. Defense Department officials said more than 200 cruise missiles were launched in the first wave of attacks, followed up by bombing raids by attack planes.

U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen said the United States would carry out the attacks on Iraq for as long as needed. He gave no time limit but other defense officials said they could last several days. Cohen ordered more forces to the region. He said nearly 60 additional Air Force and Marine jet fighters, including 10 radar-avoiding F-117A attack jets, would go along with three units of Patriot missiles for defense against possible Iraqi Scud missiles.

The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and 60 Navy attack jets will also join the carrier Enterprise in the Gulf Friday, a step which would bring U.S. air strength in the region to more than 300 warplanes in the coming week. Other than broad descriptions of targets, U.S. officials would not elaborate on what the air strikes were hitting.

Doctors at one Baghdad hospital reported five people killed and 30 injured in the attacks on the Iraqi capital, many suffering from burns and shrapnel wounds. There was no word of overall casualties.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it had received reports that a missile, apparently linked to the U.S. and British military attack on Iraq had landed in the southern Iranian city of Khoramshahr, but did not cause any damage or casualties.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman PJ. Crawley said it was too soon to evaluate the first round of military strikes. He said, "It's too early to give any kind of assessment of the military action taken. We will evaluate the effectiveness of the strikes as we continue in our military planning."

U.S. officials have acknowledged that there will likely be some Iraqi civilians killed in the strikes.

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook told BBC radio: "This is not the end today." He said that the raids would set back Iraq's chemical and biological weapons program by several years. He said the first objective was "to make sure we do everything possible" to hit Iraq's air defense systems.

While showing sensitivity to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, U.S. officials say there is "no artificial deadline" for completing air strikes against Iraq. National Security Adviser Sandy Berger said he would not provide a specific timeline for the U.S. mission in Iraq, but noted that officials decided they did not want to begin the attack during the Islamic holy month which starts Sunday.

Berger said on Wednesday evening, "There's no artificial deadline for this action." Berger noted the president's sensitivity to the holy month of Ramadan, particularly to initiating military action during that period.

U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen said he would not want "to set any timeframe" on the attack. He said, "We're aware of that holy period for the Islamic people. But we intend to carry out our mission, how long it must take."

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday it is sending several thousand additional troops to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Fox. The troops will include an infantry brigade from Fort Stewart, Georgia; Patriot missile defense batteries from various bases around the United States; a light infantry battalion from Fort Drum, New York; Military Police units from Fort Stewart; and units from around the country that specialize in detecting the presence of chemical and biological weapons.

The ERRI Watch Center continues to monitor the situation.

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