Is Saddam Hussein seeing double? March 11/2003 Iraq

dispatched a mig jet over a Kuwait
no-fly zone in reaction to apparent confusion over why two
U2 surveilance planes were flying 60,000 feet over Iraqi airspace.

Once the U2 pilots were aware of the presence of the Iraqi jet,

they immediately retreated; one flying back to kuwait while the
other returned to Saudi airspace.

 

Iraq claims it was told by the U.N. that there would be only
one U2 plane flying over Iraq. Was this incident due to a lack
of communication or is the U.S. taunting Iraq into taking a
first shot, which would give rise to an excuse to strike at Iraq.

 

At the moment there are 70 weapons inspectors on the ground in Iraq.
Thirty more inspectors could be back in Iraq to continue inspections
if the U.N. orders it. If the U.S. is taunting Saddam Hussein, he is

doing it while civilians are still in Iraq. This would make for a precarious

exit for the inspectors.

 

© Arlene Longson March 11/2002

 

Saddam Hussein pretends he thinks double U2 flights were an accident. Trying to seem reasonable, Saddam tells U.N. he believes the overflights of two U2 planes to have been the result of a lack of communication. Now, does that sound like Saddam Hussein?