Saddam seeks missile vengeance

Saddam Hussein hit back today just hours after President George Bush tried to kill him with a surgical missile strike.

Two Iraqi missiles were reportedly fired at British and US forces in northern Kuwait this morning.

Kuwaiti officials said the missiles caused no damage and were not carrying non-conventional warheads,

But journalists at Camp Coyote – home to thousands of British soldiers in Kuwait – reported hearing a thunderous explosion shortly before 7.40am (Irish time) and scrambled with soldiers to put on gas masks.

Military sources said investigations into the apparent missile attack in northern Kuwait would focus on what they were targeting and whether they were downed by the US Patriot missile defence system.

The war against Iraq began at dawn in Baghdad after the CIA reportedly told US President George Bush it knew the whereabouts of Saddam.

A surprise attack was launched in the hope of taking out the regime’s leadership in a single blow.

But the Iraqi dictator appeared to have evaded the strike.

Three hours after the first missiles rained down on Baghdad, Iraqi TV broadcast pictures of Saddam condemning the “criminal” assault on his country.

The CIA intelligence on Saddam was seen as “a target of opportunity” that might not come again, according to one agent.

Just hours before the strikes commenced, CIA director George Tenet told Bush he knew where the Iraqi leader was and believed he would be consulting with advisers at a known private residence in southern Baghdad for several hours, The Washington Post said.

British military sources at the allied command centre in Qatar said five high-ranking Iraqis were at the meeting.

“There were intelligence-based reports that there were five high-ranking people in one place and a decision was taken to launch the missiles,” he said.

The attack targets included vehicles thought to have been used by the Iraqis.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon confirmed that the first wave of air strikes was aimed at the country’s leadership.

Mr Hoon said the missile strikes were only the “preliminary stages” of military operations.

Asked whether Saddam Hussein was the specific target, Mr Hoon said: “The purpose of these initial operations was simply to deal with the leadership, the threat to our safety and security posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction in the hands of an absolutely appalling group of people.”

The attack, described by US officials as a “decapitation exercise”, involved F-117 stealth fighter bombers armed with precision bombs and the launch of more than 40 cruise missiles as dawn rose over Baghdad at 5.30am local time – 90 minutes after the deadline set by Bush ran out.

It heralded the start of a conflict that President Bush said would result in the end of the Iraqi dictatorship.

But by 8.30am local time Iraqi TV screened pictures of a defiant Saddam claiming President Bush had “committed a new crime”.

He urged the people of Iraq to resist the attacks, adding: “Your enemies will suffer humiliation and defeat.”

The two three-tonne, medium range Iraqi missiles which were aimed at the border area with northern Kuwait today caused no damage or casualties, according to Kuwaiti officials.

But journalists in the Kuwaiti desert said there was a loud explosion this morning which set tent canvases trembling.

The camp was warned last night that a retaliatory strike was possible once US bombing began, and that any warning sirens heard were for real, not another drill.

PA News chief reporter Vanessa Allen, who was at the camp, reported: “No alarm followed the explosion and it was initially assumed it was simply heavy-duty artillery fire from the nearby ranges.

“Moments later the vehicle horns started – one second on, one second off - the clearest possible alert that the camp could be under attack.”

At this signal – and the news from medics that it was “for real”, not a drill – soldiers and journalists donned the protective gear used in chemical attack until the all-clear was sounded a few minutes later.

First indications that the war had begun came when air raid sirens, followed by a series of explosions were heard in Baghdad just after 2.30am this morning (Irish time).

The action began 90 minutes after President Bush’s deadline for Saddam to leave Iraq passed.

In the first British comment on the start of the war, a spokesman for Downing Street said: “The Prime Minister was informed shortly after midnight (London time) that attacks on a limited number of command and control targets was being brought forward.”

The spokesman added: “As regards the involvement of British forces, he (Mr Blair) will set out the position in due course.”

British military commanders in the Gulf said there had been no order to begin attacks.

Forty five minutes after the attack began, President Bush went on television to tell the American people: “I assure you this will not be a campaign of half measures and we will accept no outcome but victory.”

He said: “On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein’s ability to wage war. These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign.”

Pledging to make every effort to avoid harming innocent civilians, he added that the campaign could be longer and more difficult than predicted.

President Bush had warned Saddam to flee the country or face the consequences by 1am today.

While he waited for President Bush and Tony Blair to give the orders to attack, many of Saddam’s soldiers appeared to be ready to give up without a fight.

Intelligence reports from inside Iraq spoke of mass desertions, with many thousands of troops planning to surrender when the war started.

In his broadcast to the Iraqi people, Saddam said: “We are all for Jihad” and called on Iraqis and their supporters to take up arms to “defend the dear country”.

He said: “The sword: take the sword without any fear. Take out the sword - let them be witness to that. Take out the sword on the enemies against you.”