This happened until in June 1999 Iraq banned all weapons inspectors from its country. But before that the Americans and the British launched an attack against Iraq not as large though as in 1991. This time it was in December 1998 and all they used were heavy bombers from the air and cruise missiles fired from both submarines and battleships in the Gulf. The official aim of the cruise missile and bombing attacks on some 100 targets across Iraq was to “degrade” Saddam Hussein’s ability to produce weapons of mass destruction. As well as facilities associated with chemical and biological weapons production, the targets included sites housing the regime’s secret police and elite Republican Guard forces, airfields, air defence sites and a Basra oil refinery. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz said 62 military personnel had been killed and 180 injured.
This was taken from the BBC website.
This shows us that the British public are mainly against the war on Iraq.
I am mainly for the war on Iraq. I admit that I am not very well educated and that I was young during Desert Storm but I believe that we should have been much tougher on Hussein at that time so to stop him re-arming. I do believe in my heart of hearts that Saddam Hussein is hiding Weapons of mass destruction from the UN weapons inspectors. Also I believe that after September 11th the American government have cracked down on other states holding terrorists in their War against Terror.
Some Questions That People Might Ask?
What are the risks of going to war?
An invasion could provoke the use of chemical and biological weapons if Saddam Hussein has them and the means to deliver them. Iraq might have a few Scud missiles hidden away with which to attack Israel, for example. That could draw Israel into any fighting. The political risks of a war include a break-up of Iraq and the growth of anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world. Another major concern is that civilians will be killed, as they were in the Gulf War and in Serbia.
Is this about oil?
Iraq has the second largest untapped reserves of oil in the world after Saudi Arabia. The powerful American oil industry is closely connected with the Bush administration. Some commentators believe that US oil companies are exerting pressure on the president to topple Saddam Hussein and gain control of this vast resource. Others argue, however, that the US has plenty of oil and is unlikely to commit to such a vast and risky undertaking as a war in Iraq for this reason alone.
Is this part of the war on terror?
The US pressure on Iraq has grown out of the war on terror. Strictly speaking, it is not part of the war on Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network since Iraq has not been directly linked with Bin Laden, though Washington has tried to hint at recent connections. It is more a part of the wider American war on potential threats around the world.
