Human shields 'not safe'
2003-02-27 08:44
Camp as Sayliyah - In the event of war, American and allied forces could not assure the safety of civilians who deliberately position themselves as human shields against attack on Iraqi targets, the US general who would run the war said.
"We'll do our best to avoid noncombatant casualties and, I will tell you, we will not be 100% successful," said Army General Tommy R Franks, the commander of US Central Command.
Franks was at his Persian Gulf command post for meetings on Wednesday with the land, sea, naval and special operations commanders who report to him from Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He was due to return to his headquarters at Tampa, Florida, later in the week.
Franks also was meeting here with British Defence Minister Geoff Hoon.
Speaking aboard a C-40B Air Force jet en route here from London on Tuesday, Franks also said US and British warplanes patrolling "no fly" zones over northern and southern Iraq are increasingly taking aim at Iraqi ground forces armed with surface-to-surface missiles within range of Kuwait and Turkey.
Fighter-bombers that have periodically struck Iraqi air defences in the no-fly zones for more than a decade have recently begun striking at Iraqi Ababil missiles, which have a range of about 153km, as well as Astro multiple-launch rocket systems with a 40km range, other US military officers said.
"When the Iraqis enhance their position with unauthorised weapon systems, it triggers a response from us," Franks said. "So over the last couple of days we have had a couple of responses."
He was referring to US airstrikes against three surface-to-surface missile systems in northern Iraq on Tuesday and earlier air attacks against Ababil missiles in the south. Iraqi multiple-launch rocket systems also have been attacked in the south in recent days.
Franks said US air patrols are keeping a closer eye on movements of Iraqi surface-to-surface missiles because of the threat they pose to tens of thousands of US and allied forces gathering in Kuwait.
"Obviously we're more sensitive right now because we have more people on the ground, so it's very much a force-protection issue," he said.
Another senior US military officer said the Turkish government recently eased its restrictions on the kinds of targets US and British planes may strike in northern Iraq ecause the Turks are concerned that Iraq might use its surface-to-surface missile force to hit southern Turkey. The British and American planes that patrol northern Iraq fly from Incirlik air base in Turkey.
In the interview, Franks expressed concern at reports that people opposed to a US-led war against Iraq have accepted invitations from Baghdad to place themselves near power plants and other facilities as "human shields".
Franks said US and allied forces would do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties under any circumstances in Iraq or elsewhere, but he noted that wars inevitably result in such tragedies.
He castigated the Iraqi regime for putting civilians in harm's way.
"In the first case, it's a violation of international law," Franks said. "Anytime there is encouragement by a regime to cover targets with humans - noncombatant humans - my gracious, that's a violation of every sort of conduct that I think people in the free world can identify with."
It was Franks's first visit to his command post since mid-December, when he oversaw an elaborate computer-based exercise, code-named Internal Look, to test communications links with Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and special operations commanders stationed elsewhere in the Gulf region.
In London on Tuesday, Franks held a 90-minute closed-door meeting with the chief of British defense forces, Adm. Sir Michael Boyce, and other senior officers responsible for British forces in the Gulf.
Franks also met Prime Minister Tony Blair at his 10 Downing Street offices. - Sapa-AP
- SAPA