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Journalism of Courage
WASHINGTON, DEC 16: A joint US-British airstrike on Iraq is likely8217; and could occur within hours, CNN reported today quoting unnamed sources in the US Defence Department.
A strike could come as early as today8217;, the report said.
Pentagon officials were not immediately available to comment on the report which gave no further details.
Earlier, President Bill Clinton met his security advisers on how to respond to Iraq8217;s latest defiance. One official called it a 8220;very serious situation8221; and stressed that military strikes remain an option.
The President, just back from the West Asia, sat down with his national security team at 1230 GMT in the White House situation room. They met there for about 45 minutes and were expected to confer throughout the day, one adviser said.
8220;There was a meeting of the principals this morning. The President joined that meeting,8221; White House spokesman P J Crowley said, adding that the session included Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, secretary of defence WilliamCohen and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen Henry Shelton.
The huddle followed Clinton8217;s telephone call to British Prime Minister Tony Blair last night to review the stand-off with Iraqi President Saddam Hussain as it approaches yet another boiling point.
8220;This is obviously a very serious situation. All options are on the table,8221; one White House national security aide said today, speaking on condition of anonymity.
And as Clinton met his top foreign advisors in Washington, US military forces, including 201 aircraft and 22 warships, were taking strategic positions in the Gulf.
The US defence department said its firepower included 15 heavy B-52 bombers armed with air-launched cruise missiles on the Indian ocean island of Diego Garcia and eight cruisers and destroyers capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The hectic moves follow a new UN report that Baghdad was not cooperating with arms inspectors. A United Nations spokesman said in Baghdad that UNSCOM staff had been been asked to leavethe country although humanitarian staff would continue to stay as a 8220;precautionary measure.8221;
Chief UN weapons inspector Richard Butler had submitted a special report on Tuesday to the UN alleging that Iraq had failed to restore full co-operation with arms inspectors.
The UN Security Council was to meet in emergency session today to discuss the latest Iraqi crisis, UN officials said. They said the 15-member Council would interrupt an open session on post-conflict peace-building to hold the closed-door emergency session at Russian and French request.
Earlier, Russia called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council while a French government spokesman said Paris still hoped a strike against Iraq could be avoided but realised that this might not now be possible.
In London, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook described Iraq8217;s failure to cooperate with arms inspectors as very serious.8217; He said Saddam should expect no warning if US and Britain decided to launch air strikes.
Meanwhile, IraqiPresident Saddam Hussein chaired a meeting of the Iraqi leadership, officials said. They said the joint meeting of the decision-making Revolutionary Command Council RCC and the ruling Baath party would discuss 8220;the situation in light of the latest developments.8221;
