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Saddam elusive { March 20 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.newsnet5.com/news/2052174/detail.html http://www.newsnet5.com/news/2052174/detail.html newsnet5.com Saddam Remains Elusive Target POSTED: 6:04 a.m. EST March 20, 2003 UPDATED: 11:10 a.m. EST March 20, 2003 It looks like the initial U.S. airstrike aimed at Iraqi leaders has missed Saddam Hussein. U.S. officials have said that Saddam was among what they call the "leadership targets" of missiles and bombs in the Baghdad area. But targeting Saddam could be a tough venture. Washington has found it tough over the decades to kill or capture enemy leaders. But experts say Saddam has a country to run -- perhaps making it harder for him to stay hidden for a long period of time as the leaders of al-Qaida have been able to do. Iraq's information minister said that targeting Saddam is "a kind of stupidity" that would never succeed. Saddam's son is appealing to the militia that he leads. Odai Hussein is urging his soldiers to fight off the invaders. He's quoted by the Iraqi News Agency as saying, "the land of Iraq will be ours." He's calling on the "lions of Iraq" to battle "the foreign hyenas." A top Iraqi official is reporting an apparent death from the U.S. airstrike. Iraq's information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf told reporters in Baghdad that the air raids targeted a customs office, empty buildings for Iraqi TV and at least two civilian suburbs. He said one citizen was "martyred" and a number of them were injured in the attack on the customs office. The minister is calling President George W. Bush "a criminal and the son of a criminal." He said the Americans also used special technology to distort the signal on Iraqi satellite TV. He said, "We will overcome this stupid act. They are afraid of one single satellite channel." The minister also refers to America as a "rogue state." Earlier, the United States hit Baghdad with cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs, reportedly aimed at Saddam and other Iraqi leaders. It's still not known exactly what targets were hit. Afterward, a subdued-looking Saddam appeared on state-run TV, accusing the United States of a "shameful crime" and urging his people to fight. Troops Get First Scare They've been practicing for weeks, but suddenly it wasn't a drill as U.S. troops in Kuwait climbed into protective suits and gas masks. An Iraqi missile was on its way. It's the first real scare for the troops, but the missiles never hit their targets. One was shot down by a Patriot antimissile battery -- another reportedly landed harmlessly in the desert. But even that missile created tense moments and interrupted lunch for the members of a U.S. military unit. They heard the missile hit and within minutes, they too were ordered into protective gear -- each soldier checking another to make sure it was on right. About 20 minutes later, the radio crackled, "All clear." No injuries were reported, and there was no immediate evidence of chemical or biological agents. There was also a report that an Iraqi missile was launched toward Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait. The all-clear was sounded there as well. The report came within minutes of air raid sirens sounding in the capital of Kuwait. A spokesman for the Kuwaiti military said the sirens sounded because Iraq fired four Scud missiles at Kuwait. He said one was intercepted, and the rest fell in the northern part of Kuwait and in Kuwait Bay. Earlier, the U.S. military said Iraq had fired missiles across the border toward U.S. troops in the Kuwaiti desert, prompting them to don gas masks. The military said at least one of the rockets was intercepted by Patriot missiles. One report said a Scud missile was fired, while another cited an Al-Samoud missile. An all-clear signal was later given. It's still not clear how many Iraqi missiles were launched, or what kind of missiles they were. Military officials said the missiles apparently did not have chemical warheads. Prediction For Massive Air Assault Doesn't Pan Out U.S. military officials said they want to keep the Iraqis guessing. Pentagon officials had said the campaign against Iraq would "shock and awe" Iraqi forces with a massive barrage of bombs and missiles early on. Instead, the military's first salvo involved about 40 Tomahawk missiles and some precision-guided bombs. Military sources said such unexpected behavior can only help the U.S. military. Military analysts said while the timing of the attack may have been predictable, the method wasn't. Main Offensive Still To Come The big war is still to come. U.S. military officials said the first airstrikes against Iraq are not a sign that the main offensive has begun. They said the president approved the firing of cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs because of the time-sensitive intelligence on the whereabouts of Iraqi leaders. Indeed, a British military spokesman said the British "were not expecting" the strike. Britain is America's chief ally in the military campaign. Officials said it's possible that other limited attacks in various parts of Iraq could be launched over the next day. The first wave of attacks involved about three dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from Navy ships in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, as well as bombs dropped from a handful of F-117-A Nighthawk stealth jets. The Navy released three pictures of the missiles being launched just hours after the attack. Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Attack starts { March 19 2003 } Cia had hussein fix { March 20 2003 } Hit eating breakfast { March 20 2003 } Iraq fires missiles Killed civilian missed saddam { March 20 2003 } Kofi annan iraqi people Russia expresses regret Saddam elusive { March 20 2003 } Files Listed: 8

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