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- DATE: JAN. 23, 1991 13:25 REPORT:
- TO: SPECIAL REPORT
- FOR:
- CC:
- BUREAU: LONDON
- BY: FRANK MELVILLE
- IN:
- SLUG: WAR NARRATIVE
-
- THE SKIES OVER KUWAIT AND IRAQ ARE LARGELY FREE FOR THE
- ALLIES, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF BRITAIN'S OPERATIONS IN
- THE GULF SAID TODAY. MAJOR GENERAL ALEX HARLEY SAID
- "VIRTUALLY ALL THE MAIN IRAQI MILITARY AIRFIELDS" HAD
- BEEN HIT, REDUCING THEIR CAPACITY, WITH ENEMY AIRCRAFT
- "HARASSED" AND IRAQI COMMAND AND CONTROL "DEGRADED. THIS
- LEAVES THE SKIES LARGELY FREE FOR THE ALLIES, HE ADDED.
-
- THE MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE IS ALSO WELL ON ITS WAY TO
- BLUNTING IRAQ'S CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR THREAT, ACCORDING TO
- INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION GIVEN TO BRITAIN'S WAR CABINET
- MEETING TODAY. GEBERAL HARLEY SAID THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE
- AIR CAMPAIGN WAS SEEING CONTINUED OPERATIONS AGAINST "A
- WHOLE SPECTRUM OF MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE TARGETS,"PLUS
- THE SCUD MISSILE THREAT HAD BEEN REDUCED AND THERE HAD
- BEEN A STEADY REDUCTION OF MOBILE LAUNCHERS. IRAQ'S
- AIRFORCE, SAID THE GENERAL, HAD BEEN CONTINUALLY HARASSED
- AND FORCED TO MOVE POSITION AND ITS COMMAND AND CONTROL
- IS RELYING INCREASINGLY ON ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF
- COMMUNICATIONS.
-
- THE ENEMY'S CAPABILITY TO SUSTAIN WAR, HE ADDED, IS
- BEING STEADILY REDUCED WITH ELECTRICAL POWER THROUGHOUT
- THE COUNTRY DEBILITATED AND THE CAPITAL BAGHDAD BLACKED
- OUT. OIL PRODUCTION, ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAIN SADDAM'S
- FORCES, HAD BEEN REDUCED BY 5O PERCENT. WHITEHALL SOURCES
- ADDED TO THE NEW OPTIMISM, SAYING PRIME MINISTER JOHN
- MAJOR AND HIS WAR CABINET WERE TOLD TODAY THAT
- "SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE" HAD BEEN CAUSED BY BOMBING IRAQ'S
- CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT INSTALLATIONS.
- THE RAIDS, BRITISH GOVERNMENT SOURCES STATED, WERE MOSTLY
- CARRIED OUT BY AMERICAN BOMBERS, BUT THE WAY WAS MADE
- CLEAR BY EARLIER RAF RAIDS ON IRAQI AIRFIELDS, CRATERING
- RUNWAYS TO PREVENT ENEMY FIGHTERS TAKING TO THE SKIES.
-
- ENDIT
-