On January 17, as one of his final acts in office, President Bush ordered an attack on Iraq. U.S. ships fired more than 40 cruise missiles over Baghdad in an attempt to knock out a factory allegedly used to make nuclear weapons.
The administration said the attack was prompted by Iraqi refusals to allow a U.N. inspection team into the facility.
One of the missiles was hit by anti-aircraft fire and slammed into the Al-Rasheed Hotel, killing two Iraqis and injuring at least 15. Another Iraqi was killed by another off-target missile.
Iraqi-U.S. relations worsened again April 27 when Kuwaiti officials announced they had arrested 14 people involved in a conspiracy to assassinate now former President Bush.
Bush visited Kuwait April 14-16. Kuwaiti officials said they had arrested the suspects before Bush's arrival. Several of the suspects had been caught with a car loaded with explosives.
On June 26, the United States responded by firing Tomahawk missiles at the Iraqi intelligence compound in suburban Baghdad. Twenty missiles landed inside the compound.
President Clinton said in a nationally televised speech that the plot to kill President Bush was "an attack against our country." He said Iraqi intelligence was behind the conspiracy.
The following day, UN Ambassador Madeleine Albright defended the attack. She presented evidence from a CIA-Kuwaiti investigation, which she said showed that Iraq was behind the plot.
Iraq denied any involvement, and filed a formal protest with the UN. Iraq said eight civilians had been killed and a dozen wounded when missiles went astray.
