Iraq attacked in 'Operation Desert Fox'

Anti-aircraft fire explodes over Baghdad

BAGHDAD (CNN) -- U.S. and British forces launched a "substantial" military strike against Iraq early Thursday, following a report by U.N. chief weapons inspector Richard Butler claiming Iraq was not cooperating with arms inspectors.

Anti-aircraft guns blasted into the night sky over Baghdad at about 1 a.m. local time (5 p.m. EST Wednesday). CNN nightscope video showed specks of white light flashing through the air, as explosions thundered in the distance.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the attack, named Operation Desert Fox, was necessary because Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein never intended to abide by his pledge to give unconditional access to U.N. inspectors trying to determine if Iraq has dismantled its biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs.

"He is a serial breaker of promises," Blair said of the Iraqi president.

Speaking outside his Downing Street residence, Blair said Britain had no quarrel with the Iraqi people and was taking every possible care to avoid civilian casualties.

"At the direction of the president, United States military forces have launched a substantial military strike against Iraq," White House spokesman Joe Lockhart told reporters. He said U.S. President Bill Clinton would address the nation within the hour.

Western leaders had conferred about possible military action against Iraq since late Tuesday, when the chief weapons inspector, Richard Butler, handed over his latest report to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

U.S. President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair had discussed the latest crisis during a phone conversation on Tuesday.

And early Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook warned Iraq that military strikes could come quickly and without warning.

Butler's report discussed events that had taken place since mid-November, when Baghdad last agreed to cooperate fully with U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) inspectors.

"Iraq's conduct ensured that no progress was able to be made in either the fields of disarmament or accounting for its prohibited weapons programs," the report said.

Butler late Tuesday ordered UNSCOM staff out of Baghdad. The entire staff was evacuated before dawn on Wednesday.

"I regret that I had to report the facts yesterday, which is that (unfettered access) had not been given, and we can't adequately do our jobs under these circumstances," Butler told reporters at the United Nations on Wednesday.

"It made logical sense therefore to pull our people out, and we'll see where this goes in the future," he added.

The military strikes -- which came at night -- followed a roughly 14-month period during which Baghdad officials periodically said they would no longer cooperate with the weapons inspectors.

Lockhart

During that time, Baghdad also repeatedly demanded that crippling international sanctions, imposed after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait prior to the Gulf War, be lifted.

The most recent escalation in the ongoing weapons standoff came in early November.

At that time, Western powers threatened military strikes against Iraq. The threat was removed on November 14, when Baghdad agreed to cooperate fully with the weapons inspectors.

But, U.S. and British officials warned Baghdad that future airstrikes could come without warning should Iraqi leadership again refuse to cooperate with UNSCOM.

To back up their threat, Western powers left in place the military might they had positioned in the Persian Gulf, within striking distance of Iraq.

It was that military weaponry that was used on Thursday to conduct the strikes against Iraq.

Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.