U.S. military official: Iraq has tested short-range missile

From CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sending a signal that it is continuing to reconstitute its missile program, Iraq has conducted "multiple tests" of a short-range ballistic missile, a U.S. military official said.

VIDEO CNN's White House Correspondent Kelly Wallace reports on the possible repercussions of Iraq's new missile tests QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K   MESSAGE BOARD Situation in Iraq

The official said the tests of the Al Samoud, a liquid-fueled ballistic missile with a range of less than 95 miles, have been similar to tests Iraq conducted before UN weapons inspectors were expelled in late 1998, and have taken place at the same test location west of Baghdad.

Because of the Al Samoud's short range, the missile does not violate restrictions imposed on Iraq by the United Nations after the Persian Gulf War in 1991, the official told CNN.

But the official said U.S. intelligence indicates Iraq is attempting to upgrade the short-range missile to give a longer range and greater capability, while being careful not to give the United States any reason to attack its missile production facilities.

During Operation Desert Fox in December 1998, U.S. and British warplanes and missiles targeted Iraqi missile-production and repair facilities because they were said to give Iraq the means to deliver weapons of mass destruction.

Immediately after the strikes, Pentagon officials estimated they had set back Iraqi missile-production capability by two to five years.

The military official said the United States still considers Iraq to have "limited" capabilities, but that Iraq has been careful to hide any improvements it has made since the 1998 attacks.

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January 6, 2000

United Nations: Office of the Iraq Programme
Memorandum of Understanding Between the UN and Iraq on Inspections
New UN Monitoring Commission for Iraq
Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs
Chronology of Events Leading to U.S.-led Attack on Iraq
New York Times: Flight Tests by Iraq Show Progress of Missile Program

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