U.S. puts Iraq strike 'on hold'

CNN
August 7, 2001

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States has "put on hold" plans for large-scale
retaliatory airstrikes on Iraq after a missile attack on a U.S. spy plane last month, Pentagon
sources said Monday.

America is back to its usual policy of striking smaller targets that  threaten coalition planes
on an "as needed" basis in response to violations of the  U.S.-imposed "no-fly" zone and
attacks on U.S. aircraft by Iraqi air defenses, sources told CNN.

The decision was taken, sources said, because of concern that the negative reaction from
U.S. allies in the region is not worth the limited effect the bombing would have on Iraqi air
defenses.

Officials said the United States also has had difficulty in recent days finding appropriate
targets because Iraq has dispersed most of its anti-aircraft missiles and radars in anticipation
of a major strike.

Meanwhile, Iraq continues to violate the no-fly zones, sources reported.

Sources said that on Saturday an Iraqi MiG-23 flew some 60 miles into the southern
no-fly zone near where a U.S. predator unmanned aerial vehicle was conducting
surveillance. The Iraqi jet left the no-fly zone before U.S. planes could respond.

The United States also has returned to its usual naval complement in the Persian
Gulf -- one aircraft carrier and attendant ships. It briefly had two carriers in the gulf
last week when the USS Enterprise arrived to relieve the USS Constellation, which left
Saturday.

On July 26, a military response was planned following an attempt to shoot down a U-2 spy
plane over Iraq's southern no-fly zone, two days earlier, sources said.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry later denied the attack on the U-2 and said the intended target
had been a U.S. F-15 fighter.

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has offered a reward for the shooting down of any allied
plane patrolling the no-fly zones.

CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.
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