Clinton orders U.S. military attack against Iraq

[HELEN THOMAS, UPI White House Reporter]

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- President Clinton ordered a cruise missile attack
against the Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad Saturday after
``compelling evidence'' showed the Saddam Hussein regime plotted to
assassinate former President Bush during his visit to Kuwait last April.
In a nationally televised address from the Oval Office, Clinton
announced the Tomahawk missile strikes were launched from U.S. ships
located in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf at 4:22 p.m. EDT.
In a preliminary statement, he said every effort was made to minimize
civilian casualties. There was no immediate comment from Baghdad which
was taken by surprise by the early morning attack.
In a Pentagon press conference, Secretary of Defense Les Aspin said
U.S. intelligence reports revealed the assassination plot came from
``the highest levels of the Iraqi government.'' Aspin said after the
intelligence reports were reviewed, the Defense Department gave Clinton
several options for action.
Aspin said the president chose to ``target the agency responsible for
planning and conducting the crime.''
That target was the Iraqi Intelligence Service, housed in a large
multi-story building in downtown Baghdad. ``The target was Saddam
Hussein, not the Iraqi people,'' Aspin said.
Fourteen missles were launched from the USS Peterson, a destroyer
sailing the Red Sea, and nine from the USS Chancellorsville, a gudided
missle carrier in the Persian Gulf.
The Tomahawk is a highly accurate sea-launched cruise missile with a
range of about 1,550 miles and a cruising speed of about 550 mph. There
were no immediate reports on the success of the attack on the ISS
complex.
At a White House briefing senior administration officials said they
were ``highly confident'' the evidence of the origin of the plot led
straight to Baghdad.
Officials said shortly after the attack, Clinton telephoned Bush, who
is vacationing in Kennebunkport, Maine and that Bush ``supported'' the
operation. In addition, Clinton dispatched Secretary of State Warren
Christopher to Maine to brief Bush on the action.
It was the first time that Clinton was personally and directly
involved in a military action as president. But he followed in the
footsteps of Bush himself, who had conducted a triumphant war against
Hussein from Jan. 15, 1991 until Feb. 4, 1992 with United Nations and
Persian Gulf allies.
Calling the failed assassination plot ``particularly loathesome and
cowardly,'' Clinton said the plot against President Bush was ``an attack
against our country and against all Americans.'' It could not go
unanswered, he said.
Officials said that the U.S. acted unilaterally under article 51 of
the United Nations charter which permits nations to act in self defense.
They said it sent a ``powerful message'' to Saddam to refrain from
further acts of international terrorism.
Intelligence officials said that the Iraqi government had arranged a
powerful car bombing to carry out the plot when Bush was to deliver an
address at Kuwait University on April 14. Officials said Bush knew of
the risks involved in visiting Kuwait, where Iraq had threatened revenge
against him for its defeat in the Gulf War.
Clinton said before ordering the attack, he was in contact with major
allied leaders and congresional leaders. He also called for an emergency
meeting of the United Nations Security Council to consider action
against Iraq.
The President said that the action was also aimed at deterring
international terrorism.
It was the second time that Iraq had been attacked by the United
States since the end of the Gulf War. Bush ordered a missile attack on
Iraq days before he left office in retaliation against Iraq's violations
of ``no-fly zones'' set up by the U.S. and its European allies after the
end of the war.
In citing the steps leading to the attack, Clinton, said:
``This past April the Kuwaiti government uncovered what they
suspected was a car bombing plot to assassinate former President George
Bush while he was visiting Kuwait City. The Kuwaiti authorities arrested
16 suspects including two Iraqi nationals. Following those arrests, I
ordered our own intelligence and law enforcement agencies to conduct a
thorough and independent investigation.
``Over the past several weeks, officials from those intelligence
agencies, reviewed a range of intelligence information, traveled to
Kuwait and elsewhere, extensively interviewed suspects and thoroughly
examined the forensic evidence.
``This Thursday, Attorney General Janet Reno and director of Central
Intelligence (James) Woolsey gave me their findings. Based on their
investigation, there was compelling evidence that there was in fact a
plot to assassinate former President Bush and that plot included the use
of a powerful bomb made in Iraq was directed and pursued by Iraqi
intelligence.''
U.S. officials had indicated during the past month that military
actions against Saddam may take place, but said they wanted to wait
until Kuwaiti authorities tried the 16 suspects currently in custody.
Raed Al-Rifai, a Kuwaiti diplomat in Washington, said at the time
that three ``Iraqi intellligence escaped.''
Their plan was to detonate several car bombs, which were discovered,
during ceremonies honoring Bush for his role in repeling Iraqi troops
who had invaded Kuwait prior to the Gulf War, Rifai and U.S. officials
said.
Bush was joined by his wife, Barbara and two of their sons, former
Secretary of State James Baker, former White House Chief of Staff John
Sununu and former Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady during his three-day
visit.
Kuwaiti Defense Minister Sheikh Ali-Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah told his
Parliament after the plot was uncovered that the assassination of Bush
would have been a side benefit in the operation, which was aimed at
destabilizing the Kuwati government.
``The main target was to destabilize order in Kuwait,'' Sheikh Ali
said. ``They were planning to seize the opportunity of Bush's visit in
order, as people say, to kill two birds with one stone.''
Sheikh Ali said the intelligence agents involved in the plot were
made up of Iraqis, stateless Arabs and Kuwaitis. Al Rifai said they had
snuck across the porous desert frontier between the two Arab nations.
In addition to detonating car bombs, Sheikh Ali said, the alleged
assasins planned suicide bombings.