From the ERRI Watch Center

WASHINGTON/IRAQ (EmergencyNet News) - The Pentagon said that a U.S. warplane fired a missile at an Iraqi radar site on Thursday after the radar targeted Western jets policing Iraq's northern no-fly zone in the latest confrontation with Baghdad. All aircraft returned safely to their base in Incirlik, Turkey, and there was no immediate assessment of damage to the surface-to-air missile (SAM) radar site.

The incident was the fourth in ten days between Iraq and U.S. and British forces. The U.S. Air Force said the Iraqi SAM radar locked onto coalition aircraft over the northern zone patrolled by American and British jets at about 0320 EST (0820 GMT) or 1120 hours local time.

A statement released by the U.S. Defense Department said: "An F-16 acted in self-defense and fired a High-Speed, Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) to suppress the missile site. The coalition aircraft have all returned safely with no damage. Damage assessment is currently being conducted." Pentagon officials said an Iraqi Roland short-range heat-seeking missile targeted the F-16 but did not fire upon it.

In related news that was touched upon briefly in Thursday's ERRI Intel Report -- Iraq is said to be maintaining a strong military presence in the south of the country, with thousands of troops deployed to discourage uprisings among the Shi'ite Muslim population. In the region, officials say they are convinced that a second wave of U.S. and British bombings will be unleashed to encourage insurrection of the sort seen after the Gulf War in 1991 when the Shi'ites rebelled against the Sunni Muslim government of Saddam Hussein.

Anti-aircraft guns reportedly line the road to the south, from Kut to Iraq's second largest city, Basra, which has remained a military stronghold since the four days of U.S.and British bombings last month. The road is also lined with military encampments and barracks, some partly buried and some storing dozens of tanks. Checkpoints are common and increasingly frequent on the outskirts of Basra.

Small double-barreled cannon stand on most streets and are used to shoot at the U.S. F-16s and British Tornadoes that patrol the no-flight zones. There are no reported signs of mobile missile batteries. The main purpose of this show of force is to prevent trouble on the ground, not in the air.

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