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| Iraq |
| B-1 bomber used in no-fly zone |
| 2003-03-15 |
| Edited to stay "on target". The United States has deployed a long-range bomber over Iraq's southern no-fly zone as President George W Bush prepares for emergency talks with his allies. The BBC's Pentagon correspondent says the use of the B-1B Lancer to attack two targets south of Baghdad for the first time since 1998 is another sign of US forces gearing up for war. Gives the B-1 crews a chance to get up to speed. Good idea. Our Pentagon correspondent, Nick Childs, says US defence officials are trying to play down the new deployment of the B1-B Lancer bombers. But he says their use is significant nonetheless, and the planes would be expected to play an important role in the opening stages of any war. The Lancer bombed two radar sites in western Iraq, US officials said. That area has been a particular focus of air strikes recently, as it is from there that hidden Scud missiles could be fired at Israel. A number of B1-Bs have been deployed to the Gulf as part of the military build-up. Good huntin' boys, and fly safe. |
| Posted by:Steve White |