IRAQ: US and British aircraft bombed air defences in southern Iraq for the second straight day yesterday in response to attempts to shoot down jets policing a "no-fly" zone, the US military said.
The western aircraft attacked an air defence operations centre near al Kut, about 153 km southeast of the capital, Baghdad, and left the area safely, according to the US military's Central Command. Iraq said four people were wounded when civilian targets in southern Iraq were attacked.
The number of incidents involving US and British air patrols over no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq has risen sharply in recent months as speculation has grown that the US could launch an invasion to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Earlier yesterday, President Saddam accused the US and Britain of acting against the principles of the UN Charter by pressuring the Security Council into adopting resolutions aimed at controlling Middle Eastern oil.
"The US and British administrations have rebelled against the principles of the UN Charter and international law and behave with the international community as if it must execute their orders," the Iraqi president said while receiving the Malaysian Information Minister. "These two administrations are trying to pressure the Security Council so it adopts resolutions that go against the UN Charter and international law."
Mr Saddam said the "issue is tied to evil designs to dominate the world and control Middle Eastern resources and oil". He urged "countries across the world to adopt a fair stance to defend themselves and safeguard their interests, not just for Iraq's sake".
He advised other countries to take a "just" position to stop the the US and Britain from achieving their "evil" schemes in a new UN resolution on arms inspections. "Any just position by the world against the evil wishes of these countries will not be in the interest of Iraq alone but also in the interest of the countries of the world," Iraqi television quoted Mr Saddam as saying.
"If these two American and British administrations are able to achieve their wishes, the world would return to a new law, which is the law of evil based on power and opportunity rather than the law of love and justice."
Iraq's leading newspaper, al-Thawra, said China, France and Russia should oppose any wording in the US draft that might be used to justify a military assault.