US officials have repeatedly dismissed Iraqi reports of civilian casualties, claiming that its “smart bombs” are directed at military targets. UN investigations and other independent probes have shown otherwise, however. In one infamous incident, warplanes dropped high explosives on a shepherds’ encampment, killing a large number of people and slaughtering herds of sheep. The Pentagon subsequently claimed that its pilots mistook a water trough for a missile launcher.
The timing of the latest stepped-up bombing campaign strongly suggests that the air patrols are being used as a means of provoking greater tensions between the US and Iraq and, potentially, an incident that could be used as a pretext for a US invasion of the country.
The increased number of sorties and intensified bombing activity elevate the risks of a US warplane being shot down over Iraqi territory. In the context of the Bush administration’s frenzied attempts to fabricate a pretext for an unprovoked invasion of Iraq, there can be little doubt that such an incident would be seized upon as a justification for all-out war.
According to a recent Washington Post article, high-ranking US Air Force officers recommended ending the combat patrols last year, but were overruled by the Defense Department’s civilian leadership. The cost of the program is well over $1 billion a year.
The timing of the latest stepped-up bombing campaign strongly suggests that the air patrols are being used as a means of provoking greater tensions between the US and Iraq and, potentially, an incident that could be used as a pretext for a US invasion of the country.
The increased number of sorties and intensified bombing activity elevate the risks of a US warplane being shot down over Iraqi territory. In the context of the Bush administration’s frenzied attempts to fabricate a pretext for an unprovoked invasion of Iraq, there can be little doubt that such an incident would be seized upon as a justification for all-out war.
According to a recent Washington Post article, high-ranking US Air Force officers recommended ending the combat patrols last year, but were overruled by the Defense Department’s civilian leadership. The cost of the program is well over $1 billion a year.