Airstrikes routine in no-fly zones

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Although Friday's strikes against Iraq was the first time targets outside the two "no-fly" zones have been hit in the last two years, provocations and responses between Iraqi military forces and U.S. and British aircraft in the Persian Gulf happen almost daily, Pentagon sources say.

Last year, the Pentagon recorded 366 violations or provocations by the Iraqis in the two no-fly zones -- 221 in the south and 145 in the north.

U.S. and British forces track attacks against Iraqi targets in the zones as "strike days" and count them separately in the two zones. In 2000, they recorded 80 strike days -- 32 in the south and 48 in the north.

RESOURCES Map of airstrike targets     INTERACTIVE MAP Map of no-fly zone     ALSO Bush: Iraq strikes part of 'strategy' Congressional leaders irked they weren't told of strikes Western diplomats surprised by airstrikes on Iraq UK joins Baghdad strike     MESSAGE BOARD Iraq airstrike

In 1999, 557 violations and provocations were recorded in the south and 143 in the north. Coalition warplanes struck on 61 days in the south and 102 days in the north.

Pentagon officials say Iraqis have already committed 80 provocative acts this year and U.S. and British warplanes have struck targets twice.

The no-fly zones were established by the anti-Iraq coalition forces to protect Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south who were trying to overthrow Saddam Hussein's government in the aftermath of the war.

The United States and Britain claim they have been granted authority to enforce the no-fly zones by the United Nations. Iraq does not recognize the no-fly zones and has been actively, but unsuccessfully, trying to shoot down allied planes.

Pentagon officials consider violations or provocations:

• Firing anti-aircraft missiles or guns at allied aircraft

• "Illuminating" or "locking-on" allied aircraft with anti-aircraft radar

• Flying military aircraft in the no-fly zone

• Moving or repositioning anti-aircraft weapons in a fashioned considered hostile

In the most recent attacks before Friday's, Iraq said that U.S. and British warplanes injured seven people and destroyed 17 houses in airstrikes on Sunday in the southern part of the country.

Bombs hit civilian buildings and military installations in the provinces of Basra and Maisan, an unidentified military spokesman said in comments carried by the official Iraqi News Agency. He said the houses were destroyed in Basra, about 330 miles (550 kilometers) south of Baghdad.

Iraq last month said U.S.- British warplanes killed six of its citizens in strikes on southern Iraq and that its air defense units hit one of the planes.

The U.S. military denied any aircraft was hit, saying all planes returned safely after a raid conducted in response to Iraqi anti-aircraft fire.

The official Iraqi News Agency said allied aircraft attacked civilian targets in two districts in the southern province of al-Muthana, 200 miles (350 kilometers) south of Baghdad.

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  • Office of the Iraq Programme
The Iraqi Presidency
Iraqi National Congress (Arabic and English)
Iraq energy profile, U.S. Dept. of Energy

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