USA: PRESIDENT CLINTON DEFENDS US MISSILE ATTACK ON IRAQ UPDATE скачать в хорошем качестве

USA: PRESIDENT CLINTON DEFENDS US MISSILE ATTACK ON IRAQ UPDATE

(4 Sep 1996) English/Nat U-S President Bill Clinton has defended U-S military action against Iraq. Speaking at a White House press conference Wednesday, Clinton defended the decision to have U-S forces launch two missile attacks on Iraq, and said the operations had proved successful. Despite criticism from countries such as France and Russia, which have repeatedly called for a political settlement, Clinton said allies of the U-S had rallied round in support of the U-S action. Back at the White House after nine days of exhausting campaigning, President Clinton faced the press to defend the two U-S airstrikes on Iraq. Clinton said the airstrikes had achieved their objectives. SOUNDBITE: "I am pleased to report that according to the information I received from Secretary Perry today, the airstrikes, the missile strikes that were conducted over the last few days were successful. The targets were either destroyed or sufficiently damaged to say that our mission has been achieved. That made it possible for us to implement the expanded no fly zone today. And I want to commend the military once again for the exceptional job they have done in carrying out this mission. Now, what has happened is that this has changed the strategic situation, particularly in the southern part of Iraq which Saddam used as the staging ground for his invasion of Kuwait, and then in 1994, for the massing of his troops near the Kuwaiti border. He is strategically worse off than he was before these strikes began and I am satisfied that this was an appropriate and measured response. Obviously, we can't predict entirely what Saddam Hussein will do, but now he knows there's a price to be paid for stepping over the line that the United Nations resolution imposed." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, US President Unconfirmed reports were just breaking of explosions in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. Clinton ruled out any U-S involvement. SOUNDBITE: "I have received the reports of the explosions. I do not know anything about them. I can tell you that they are not the product of any action that we have taken." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, US President Despite friction with some allies over the U-S military action, Clinton said the U-S coalition against Saddam had not been fractured. SOUNDBITE: "I don't think it's dead, I think quite to the contrary, that we have received good support from the British, the Prime Minister of Canada called me last night, the German Chancellor issued a strong statement, I think that our Arab partners understand what we were doing and what the risks are. We're still flying the no fly zone out of bases in Saudi Arabia, I think things are on track and I feel good about it. This was an action that I thought we had to take. It was a measured, strong appropriate action and I believe we did the right thing." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, US President Since the expanded no-fly zone was put into operation, early Wednesday, U-S planes have twice clashed with Iraq forces, but no major incidents have been reported. The president remained confident that the U-S could patrol the expanded area. SOUNDBITE: "There was a fixing on one of our planes that occurred from a site north of the thirty-third parallel, but we believe we can fly this expanded no fly zone now. It gives us an attempt to measure, or the capacity, to measure what he's doing all the way up to the southern suburbs of Baghdad." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, US President check. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...