(3 Sep 1996) English/Nat
British Prime Minister John Major has voiced his wholehearted support for the retaliatory attack by the U-S on Iraq.
American cruise missiles were launched at Iraqi air defence targets following a surprise raid by the Iraqis on a Kurdish stronghold in Northern Iraq.
Major said nothing would deter the U-S in its action or Britain from supporting them.
Britain led the Allies in its support for the attack by the U-S on Iraq on Tuesday morning.
Not only was it fully consulted over the cruise missile raids but it provided logistical support by allowing the use of an air base in the Indian Ocean.
The British Prime Minister said bitter experience had taught the Allies not to trust Saddam.
SOUNDBITE:
'Good afternoon, let me just set out unequivocally the very strong support that the government has for the action that the United States took last night in Iraq. I think we've learned from bitter experience over the recent years precisely what Saddam Hussein stands for, what he is, and the dangers that he represents both to his own people in Iraq and we've seen on other occasions as well. When he moved northwards to Irbil he moved northwards with 300 hundred tanks, 45-thousand men and a lot of heavy equipment. The concern that we had about that was the danger of replicating the sort of humanitarian disaster that we saw in 1991 which caused the United Kingdom to advocate the establishment of the safe havens. They were set up at that time to save the lives, and undoubtedly did save the lives of very many Kurds. We feel strongly that in Iraq we ought not to let a similar circumstance occur again and there was self evidently a danger of that happening if no action was taken.
SUPER CAPTION: John Major, British Prime Minister
Major said the Allies are very worried about the external threat Saddam poses.
SOUNDBITE:
Q: The Allies still haven't done anything to get rid of Saddam Hussein for good?
A: Well, if you're inviting us to go into a foreign country and depose the government of the foreign country, I don't think that is something that any Western state would contemplate. What we are concerned about is the external threat he produces and the oppression of his own people and it is against that, that the United States acted last evening.
SUPER CAPTION: John Major, British Prime Minister
While support came in from many countries for the attacks, Russia and China condemned them.
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