Iraqi Missile Targets U.S. Spy Plane

Iraq fired a surface-to-air missile at an American U-2 spy plane over southern Iraq on Wednesday, reflecting a significant change in Iraqi strategy as it targets U.S. and British planes patrolling its airspace, U.S. officials said. The U.S. plane was not hit.

The crew of the U.S. aircraft was flying as part of Operation Southern Watch, a joint U.S. and British operation patrolling the no-fly zones over Iraq, Pentagon spokesman Lt. David Gai said. Operation Southern Watch is designed to protect Kurdish and Shiite groups against government forces. Iraq disputes the legitimacy of the no-fly zones and regularly contests U.S. and British patrols by firing missiles and artillery guns.

The attack comes less than a week after the crew of a Navy E2-C surveillance aircraft flying in Kuwaiti airspace reported seeing the plume of a surface-to-air missile apparently fired from inside Iraq. That plane also was not hit.

Officials say attacks on U.S. and British patrol planes occur almost on a daily basis over the skies of Iraq. In the latest incident, the pilot of the Air Force U-2 saw an anti-aircraft missile streak toward him before it exploded nearby – close enough to feel the shock wave from the explosion but not close enough to cause any damage to the plane, an Air Force official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said the pilot felt "some concussion." Asked on a scale of one to 10 – with 10 being most likely – whether he thought the missile could have hit him, the pilot nonetheless answered "one."

The U-2 operates at an altitude of more than 70,000 feet, out of the range of most surface-to-air missiles. CBS News, which first reported the incident, said U.S. officials believe the Iraqis have modified some of their missiles, adding extra fuel to extend their range.

U.S. officials are interpreting the new attacks on U.S. surveillance planes as a significant shift in Iraq`s tactics. As Iraq takes aim at the patrols flying within its airspace, it is choosing now to go after the slower-moving monitoring craft rather than the high-performance fighter jets that have continually evaded its missiles in the ten years since the Gulf War ended.

"This is something new because, in the past, all the attacks have been against fighter aircraft," the Air Force official said.

"Clearly its an easier target – you hit one of these puppies, you don`t have to worry about a HARM (high-speed anti-radiation) missile coming down your throat," he said. "You can clearly infer the Iraqis are frustrated."

Over the last three years, Iraq has occasionally claimed to have hit a U.S. or British plane, but no downing has been confirmed.

Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News (AP)