ERRI Risk Assessment Services Thursday, December 17, 1998 EARLY EVENING

BAGHDAD (EmergencyNet News) - U.S. and British warplanes struck Baghdad on Thursday night in a second wave of attacks aimed at smashing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Anti-aircraft batteries fired into the sky and at least 13 huge explosions from incoming missiles and bombs rocked Baghdad around 2200 hours local time (1900 GMT). Journalists said some of the strikes appeared to be close to the center of the city.

WASHINGTON (EmergencyNet News) - U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen said on Thursday that missiles and bombs severely damaged Iraqi targets in initial raids on sites including military intelligence headquarters and anti-aircraft weapons. Other defense officials said that heavy B-52 bombers, each capable of carrying 20 cruise missiles, were expected to join in a second-wave of attacks Thursday and said the assault could continue through the weekend.

WASHINGTON (EmergencyNet News) - Federal buildings were placed on a maximum state of alert and authorities tightened security at airports around the country on Thursday, bracing for any potential retaliation for U.S. and British air raids against Iraq. The General Services Administration (GSA), which oversees federal buildings, said security had been raised to a maximum state of alert from a heightened security alert.

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From the ERRI Watch Center

WASHINGTON (EmergencyNet News) - Armed with before-and-after photographs of shattered Republican Guard and other buildings in Baghdad, Pentagon leaders said on Thursday U.S. air strikes had "severely damaged" Iraqi targets and would continue in the days ahead. Even as cruise missiles fired by U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers and bombs from U.S. Navy and British jets slammed Iraq in a second round of raids, Defense Secretary William Cohen said that damage assessment from an earlier first round of ship-fired cruise missiles showed good results.

Cohen and U.S. Army General Henry Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that among targets hit were barracks of President Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guards, anti-aircraft facilities, airfields and military command-and-control centers.

The SecDef said: "There have been no American casualties and we are achieving good coverage of our targets. Our targets include Iraq's air defense system, its command-and-control system, airfields and other military infrastructure and facilities."

Shelton, announced that more than 50 targets were attacked by well over 200 Navy Tomahawks in the initial round of raids, produced enlarged photographs of Iraq's military intelligence headquarters and a headquarters and Republican Guard barracks in Baghdad. The aerial pictures showed intact buildings before the raids and rubble afterwards.

The chairman of the JCS said, "This photo up here, where you don't see anything but rubble is what formerly was this building." The building he was referring to was Iraq's intelligence headquarters. He did the same with Abu Ghreib Republican Guard headquarters and five barracks buildings. He said, "You will see that out of the five barracks, four of the five were destroyed."

The Republican Guard is considered the backbone of Saddam's base of military power and Shelton said those troops helped him maintain control of his program to develop weapons of mass destruction.

The General said, "We have a considerable amount of data coming back in. Much of it is as successful or more successful than this was - some of it not quite as successful."

Cohen added, "We are diminishing his (Saddam's) ability to attack his neighbours either conventionally or with weapons of mass destruction."

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral J. Cutler Dawson, commander of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise battle group in the Gulf, said no U.S. pilots had been lost in the initial raids. Dawson told CNN in an interview from the Gulf that all pilots, including those in F-18 and EA-6B attack jets, had returned safely from their missions.

A government source said on Thursday, U.S. forces taking part in military action against Iraq are being allowed to use Spanish bases. The source at the Spanish foreign ministry said: "There is a defense agreement between the United States and Spain that establishes maximum levels of aircraft in each base, and in November we raised these levels. Under the terms of the agreement they have three months in which they can use these aircraft." The source declined to comment on whether the bases had been used in the latest strikes.

Spanish Foreign Minister Abel Matutes told parliament on Thursday evening there had been no request to use the bases, nor do he foresee there being such a request. But the foreign ministry source said the United States would not need to ask permission to use Spanish bases up to the limits laid down by the agreement.

The United States can use up to 35 aerial refuelling tankers at its Moron de la Frontera base near Seville as well as other aircraft at that and other bases. Spain was a strategically important staging post for U.S.- led attacks on Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991.

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