KUWAIT: SECURITY STEPPED UP ACROSS KUWAIT HOURS AFTER THE UNITED STATES LAUNCHED A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ
Record ID:
338305
KUWAIT: SECURITY STEPPED UP ACROSS KUWAIT HOURS AFTER THE UNITED STATES LAUNCHED A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ
- Title: KUWAIT: SECURITY STEPPED UP ACROSS KUWAIT HOURS AFTER THE UNITED STATES LAUNCHED A MILITARY STRIKE AGAINST IRAQ
- Date: 20th March 2003
- Summary: (U2) 40 KM NORTH OF KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT (MARCH 20, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF CHECKPOINT; MILITARY ARMED JEEP (2 SHOTS) 0.16 2. SCU: GUNNER ON TOP OF JEEP 0.21 3. VARIOUS OF MILITARY JEEP BEING CHECKED BY U.S AND KUWAITI SOLDIERS (4 SHOTS) 0.47 4. WS: MILITARY AND CIVILIAN VEHICLES DRIVING THROUGH CHECKPOINT 1.16 5. CIVILIAN CARS LINED UP/ BEING CHECKED BY U.S. AND KUWAIT SOLDIERS (6 SHOTS) 2.16 (U2) KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT (MARCH 20 2003) (REUTERS) 6. WS: EXTERIOR HILTON HOTEL, HEADQUARTERS OF MILITARY MEDIA OPERATIONS FOR COALITION FORCES 2.20 7. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) MAJOR CHRIS HUGHES, U.S. MILITARY SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "The strikes are being characterised as a decapitation strike and they are targeted specifically at command and control nodes and based on the success it could radically change in hand." 2.32 8. CU: HUGHES' MARINE IDENTIFICATION ON UNIFORM 2.36 9. SCU: SOUNDBITE (English) HUGHES SAYING: "We launched what we hope are surgical strikes and now there is going to be some period of pause which we try to determine the effects of those strikes." REPORTER'S QUESTION: "Any news, any knowledge of ground force movement at this stage?" HUGHES REPLIES: "I'm not going to release information of a sensitive nature like that, we'll just have to wait and see. General Franks has a number of options at his disposal and we expect him to full explore all those options." 3.04 10. CU: BADGE ON COLLAR 3.08 11. MV: HUGHES LEAVES INTERVIEW 3.14 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 4th April 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: 40 KM NORTH OF KUWAIT CITY; KUWAIT CITY; KUWAIT
- Country: Kuwait
- Reuters ID: LVABJ1QUZPLVSR6F2XIA7U8MBYBZ
- Story Text: Security has been stepped up across Kuwait, hours after
the United States launched a military strike against Iraq
after President Bush's deadline for Saddam Hussein to
surrender power passed unheeded. Meanwhile, the U.S. military
has formally announced that it had tried to kill the Iraqi
leadership with a cruise missile attack a very short while
after the expiry of a 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to
leave the country.
At the Mullah Ridge checkpoint, 40 kilometres north of
Kuwait City, civilian and military vehicles lined up to be
checked. Convoys of military vehicles passed through on the
highway northwards towards the Iraqi border.
U.S. bombs and cruise missiles earlier hit the Iraqi
capital at dawn, the opening salvo in a U.S.-led war to
overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
U.S. officials said the first strike was a limited raid by
stealth fighters and cruise missiles, aimed at the Iraqi
leadership. An expected mass bombardment had yet to be
unleashed, they said.
The United States-led "Operation Iraqi Freedom" began
before dawn broke in Baghdad on Thursday (March 20) with a
rapid strike to decapitate the Iraqi leadership, a tactic
which surprised some military analysts.
"The strikes are being characterised as a decapitation
strike and they are targeted specifically at command and
control nodes and based on the success it could radically
change in hand," said US Military Spokesman, Major Chris
Hughes.
There was no immediate indication if it was successful or
whether President Saddam Hussein was among those targeted.
Analysts said the raid was probably only a prelude to the
main onslaught with attacks by hundreds of aircraft paving the
way for ground forces, which might not come for a day or
longer.
There was no confirmation of coalition ground forces
engaging the Iraqi army north of Kuwait and most analysts said
they did not expect to see that during the course of the day
and maybe not for some few days to come.
Some speculated that the initial attack by cruise missiles
and F-117A stealth fighters may be followed by further
carefully aimed raids before the "shock and awe" assault in
which the U.S. threatens to hurl 3,500 precision bombs and
missiles at Iraq.
The full assault would involve a heavy barrage with troops
crossing the border from Kuwait under the cover of air power
and then moving into as much territory as possible, Dodge
added.
Witnesses in Baghdad reported air-raid sirens and the
sound of new explosions three hours after the first attack
which went on for 100 minutes. It was not clear if cruise
missiles fired from U.S. warships hundreds of miles away were
responsible or if aircraft were also engaged.
There was no sign of heightened activity in Gulf airspace a
few hours after the initial attack, said one Gulf air traffic
controller whose radars cover the region.
The moon over the region was full and bright at the hour
Washington's deadline for Saddam to leave his country expired.
Military analysts had speculated that commanders might prefer
to hold off the full air assault until evening Baghdad time on
Thursday when the skies would be dark for several hours, or
even for two or three days.
Other analysts said U.S. intelligence had evidently
spotted an opportunity to strike at Iraqi regime leaders or
military commanders and President George Bush had authorised a
strike earlier than planned to capitalise on the information.
Saddam -- or someone closely resembling him -- appeared
on Iraqi television at 0535 GMT reading a speech of defiance
and exhorting his troops to defend Iraq. Iraqi television said
Saddam was speaking in a live broadcast but this could not be
independently confirmed.
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