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American Morning

Allied Attack on Iraq

Aired August 10, 2001 - 10:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Pentagon officials say that there has been a joint Allied attack in Iraq today. U.S. and British planes hit Iraqi defense sites, including what's being called a communications node.

For more on this, CNN military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre joins us now life from the Pentagon -- good morning, Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

Well, this was a little more than the normal response that the United States has to Iraqi firing surface to air missiles or anti- aircraft type artillery at U.S. and British planes. Three targets were selected for today's strikes, in particular, one up just southwest of Baghdad, a communications node, which is actually part of the fiber optic network that Iraq has installed with the help of some Chinese assistance, according to Pentagon officials, that allows it to better track, coordinate its radar data and track the path of U.S. and British planes.

So today's strikes were an effort to blind those air defenses a little bit by interrupting that fiber optic network as well as taking out a radar and missile site a little bit farther to the south.

About 50 planes took part in today's operation. Fewer than 20 were actually strike aircraft. About half the strike force came from the U.S. aircraft carrier Enterprise, operating in the Persian Gulf along with the, with help from U.S. Air Force F16s and British Tornado fighters. All the planes returned safely to base. The Pentagon is still assessing the damage.

This communications site, by the way, was one that was struck previously in the attack that the United States launched back in February when it actually went above the 33rd Parallel and hit targets near Baghdad. This strike, however, was confined entirely to the southern no fly zone, which did not require any sort of presidential authorization -- Leon.

HARRIS: Thank you very much, Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. We'll get back to you if there's anything else happening in that arena. Thank you very much.

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