January 13, 1993: Allies bomb Iraq

American, British and French fighter jets carried out a series of bombing raids* over southern Iraq on January 13, 1993.

The Gulf War Allies targeted missile* sites and aircraft command and control bases.

The air raids took place early that evening, led by American stealth fighter bombers, based in Saudi Arabia.

Planes were also deployed* from a U.S. aircraft carrier* in the Gulf, and British tornado bombers* and French mirage jets joined the attack.

U.S. President George Bush ordered the attacks to “teach Saddam Hussein a short, sharp lesson.”

The Iraqis had repeatedly breached* the “no-fly zone” set up after the Gulf War and made a number of military raids over the border into Kuwait.

The Iraqi ambassador to the U.N., Nizar Hamdoon, had said the raids into Kuwait would stop.

White House spokesman, Marlin Fitzwater, said: “The government of Iraq should understand that continued defiance* of U.N. security council resolutions will not be tolerated.”

He said if the cross-border raids continued, there would further attacks without warning.

Help

raid n. 袭击
missile n. 导弹
deploy v. 部署
aircraft carrier 航空母舰
bomber n. 轰炸机
breach v. 破坏
defiance n. 蔑视