Washington, March 19 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. forces attacked Iraq, opening the war that President George W. Bush says is necessary to disarm Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and remove him from power. ``The disarmament of the Iraqi regime'' has begun, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, as air raid sirens were heard and anti-aircraft batteries opened fire in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. A cruise missile was fired at ``a target of opportunity,'' Cable News Network said, citing unidentified Pentagon officials. The attack was aimed at Iraqi leaders said to be in the area, CBS news reported, citing unidentified officials.
The attack came after Hussein defied an ultimatum from Bush to leave Iraq by 8 p.m. Washington time. Bush says he took the offensive because the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes on New York City and Washington forced the U.S. to change its defense policy to include preemptive action against groups or countries that pose a threat. The U.S. remains at its second-highest level of alert for terrorist attacks -- ``high risk'' -- with security tightened at airports, harbors, borders and chemical plants and airspace restricted around Washington, New York and other major cities. More than 250,000 U.S. and U.K. troops are in the Persian Gulf region. The U.S. has five aircraft carrier battle groups in the area and a sixth, the USS Nimitz, is on the way.
Scorning the UN
Iraq for 12 years has scorned United Nations' mandates to get rid of its weapons of mass destruction, Bush says. Hussein has used chemical and biological weapons before and is willing to do so again and to share them with terrorists, U.S. officials have said. Of the five permanent members of the Security Council, only the U.S. and Britain supported a war. France, Russia and China said UN weapons inspectors should be given more time and France vowed to veto any resolution endorsing war. ``The United Nations Security Council has not lived up to its responsibilities, so we will rise to ours,'' Bush said in a March 17 speech in which he told Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq or face an invasion. Spain and Bulgaria, nonpermanent members of the council, also backed the attacks, and the U.S. says 45 nations in all support the action. Bush has vowed a ``fast and furious'' war dominated by new technology that allows speedier communications, greater mobility and more precise targeting.
Iraq's Forces
Ninety percent of U.S. warplanes are equipped to drop laser- guided bombs. That compares with less than 10 percent in January 1991, when Bush's father, former president George H. W. Bush, ordered an attack on Iraqi forces that had invaded Kuwait. That conflict, the Persian Gulf War, ended after six weeks of bombing by the U.S. and allies, followed by a 100-hour ground invasion that drove Iraqi soldiers back to Baghdad. The UN backed that attack and the U.S. led a coalition of more than 50 countries; 38 of them contributed more than 200,000 troops, more than 60 warships, 750 aircraft and 1,200 tanks. Iraq's forces since 1991 ``have atrophied in terms of equipment and training,'' General Richard Myers, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs, said in a speech in February. They're ``probably 60 percent of what they were then,'' he said. ``The big unknown is whether they will use biological or chemical weapons.'' Hussein used those weapons during a 1980-1988 war against neighboring Iran and again on his own people in suppressing a 1988 civil uprising, U.S. officials note.
Urban Warfare
Each U.S. soldier in the region has two suits designed to protect against chemical and biological attacks, the Pentagon says. The outfit can be worn over combat clothing and is considered effective for up to 45 days or six cleanings. Once contaminated, the suit provides 24 hours of protection. Another worry is the likelihood of urban warfare that would draw out the conflict and increase civilian casualties. The U.S. says Iraq has put soldiers and military equipment at civilian, religious and historical sites in Baghdad and other major cities. Iraq reasons that some of these sites will be struck, killing civilians and inflaming the Arab world and other public opinion against the U.S., a Pentagon official told reporters. Hussein took control of Iraq in 1979 at the age of 42 and invaded neighboring Iran the following year. That war left Iraq more than $60 billion in debt. UN sanctions imposed after the Persian Gulf War further damaged Iraq's economy by restricting exports of oil.
Oil Prices
The UN later allowed Iraq to export oil and mandated that the revenue be used to buy food and medicine. The U.S. says Hussein also sells oil through illegal channels, raising money for arms programs. Iraq has the world's second-largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia and pumps about 3 percent of the world's oil. It is the third-largest producer in the Middle East and the sixth-largest supplier to the U.S. Crude oil prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange soared 61 percent from mid-November to $39.99 a barrel on Feb. 27 amid speculation a war would disrupt distribution. Prices fell below $30 a barrel on Thursday on expectations a conflict would be brief and have little effect on supplies. New York prices peaked at a record $41.15 a barrel in October 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Oil then plunged by a third on Jan. 17, 1991, after U.S.-led forces began their air attack. U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has pledged to tap the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to cover shortages. The reserve stands at 600 million barrels, equal to about 272 days of U.S. imports from the Persian Gulf, based on the average over the past 12 months. //www.quote.bloomberg.com