| The Non Existent "No Fly Zone" Washington officials continue to claim that Iraq violates a UN resolution by firing on coalition planes patrolling the "no-fly" zone over northern Iraq. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has made clear that the international body does not view the so-called "no-fly" zone confrontations as a violation of the resolution and the fact is US planes are not enforcing any UN Council resolutions. In 1991, the United States, Britain and France denied Iraq the right to fly in parts of its own airspace as a way of enforcing UN resolutions to protect the Kurds in northern Iraq and the Shiites in the south. But the "no-fly" zone was never specifically mandated by the UN Security Council and was rejected from the beginning by Iraq as a violation of its sovereignty. Russia, China, and France support Iraq's claim. Coalition pilots fly under rules of engagement that allow them to bomb any Iraqi air-defense facilities as soon as those facilities begin targeting the warplanes with radar. Their list includes not only missile and anti-aircraft artillery batteries, but also air defense command centers in what many assume is a preparation for an invasion. US officials know that although the they regard the "no-fly" zone confrontations as a breach of the latest resolution, that position is not shared with the Security Council and would not serve Washington's interest in supporting a US Invasion of Iraq. While the U.S. may continue to cite the "no-fly" zone combat as evidence of Iraq's threat to the United States, the only violations the the UN will support will be those concerning weapons inspections, including obstructing inspectors, or proof of continued deception or concealing of weapons programs. |
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