Iraqi No-Fly Zone

[strathyboy]

Can someone provide some information on the UN Resolution or whatever it is that made a no-fly zone out of Iraq?
This is partially in response to the article in the current news thing above, located here: http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/10/03/iraq.leaflets/index.html

The US has, for the past few days/weeks, been bombing Iraqi targets, within this no-fly zone. Allegedly, Iraqi ground forces and air defence installations have attacked American planes flying over the region. Allow me to turn this around for a moment. What do you think would happen if the Iraqis flew a bunch of Migs over the US, claiming merely to be "patrolling"?
It strikes me that if I were planning to invade Iraq, this is exactly what I would do first: take out the air defences.
So my question is as stated above: what is the resolution or other legislation that gives the "coalition forces" the right to destroy Iraqi air defences? Thanks.

 

[ifriit]

The no fly zone was established over portions of Iraq after "Desert Storm." We've been bombing anti-air defenses as well as other military targets there for years, now.

 

[wildernesse]

We patrol the no-fly zone to ensure that Iraq isn't flying military planes around. It's part of the peace deal from the end of the Gulf War, I believe. When you lose, you pay the price.

Here is a link to the US European Command site that talks about the no-fly zone. If you feel that this is a biased site, it has plenty of links to the UN's resolutions, etc. Looks comprehensive to me.

--tibac

Edited to fix link

 

[wildernesse]

Oh well, the link is too complicated for me to figure out how to fix it. If you click on the above link, and click on Operations you should be able to find Operation Northern Watch. You can also search for it. Operation Northern Watch is the name of the military action.

--tibac

 

[LouisBooth]

Great explainations.

 

[wildernesse]

Your input added much to the discussion as well, LouisBooth.

--tibac

 

[LouisBooth]

okay.

 

[MSBS]

The no fly zones were pretty much established unilaterally by the coalition that defeated Iraq in the gulf war. Initially after the war the entire country was a no fly zone by the terms of the cease fire agreement. I'm unsure as to the hows and whys of when this ended, but later in support of UN resolution 668 (you can look the resolutions up at the UN web site) the coalition began operation Provide Comfort in April of '91 to provide humanitarian relief to the Kurds in the north, and established the northern no fly zone at that time. The southern no fly zone was established in August of 92 in an attempt to protect the Shiite rebels and civilians in southern Iraq (Iraqi military operations had killed a number of civilians around this time in the south). They have been in place since then.