In response to recent loss of an aircraft over Iraq, Western authorities leaded by USA expressed several provocative thoughts about potential measures against Iraq if it doesn't resume subordinating to West. Iraq is again blamed for everything.
The following is a series of articles supplied by Reuters to show the seriousness of situtation.
By Paul Taylor, Diplomatic Editor
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Prospects of a military clash
between Iraq and United States are growing in the run-up to the
U.S. presidential election, diplomats say, but the Clinton
administration is sure to weigh the political risks carefully.
U.S., British and Kuwaiti officials say the Iraqi air force
has been flying provocative missions in the last two weeks to
challenge Western-imposed no-fly zones over northern and
southern Iraq. One jet violated Saudi airspace, they said.
Baghdad has revived old accusations that Kuwait is stealing
its oil and threatened to take unspecified measures against the
neighbor in invaded in 1990, sparking the 1991 Gulf War.
The Iraqi air force had recently fired a new air-to-air
missile in an exercise, showing an upgraded capability to
threaten U.S. and British planes patrolling the no-fly zones,
which Iraq does not recognize, one source said.
``The West has been holding back so far, but if this pattern
of provocation continues, I'd be very surprised if we get
through the next few weeks without some serious military
action,'' a senior Western diplomat said.
Such action would likely involve major U.S. and British air
strikes on Iraqi air bases, he said.
In Washington, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said the
United States was deeply committed to stopping Saddam
threatening his neighbors or rebuilding his weapons of mass
destruction.
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