IRAQ: BAGHDAD AWAKES TO DEVASTATION AFTER NIGHT OF BOMBING

Описание: (17 Dec 1998) Arabic/Eng/Nat

The people of Baghdad woke up on Thursday to a city damaged by U-S and British air strikes.

At least one missile fell in an area near Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's biggest palace in Baghdad, but Saddam's whereabouts were unknown.

Meanwhile, U-N humanitarian workers were on standby in case they are forced to leave.

Despite the localised devastation, the Iraqi people defiantly carried on as normal.

The nighttime blitz over, Baghdad woke up on Thursday and started to assess the damage caused by the air strikes.

Smoke could be seen rising from targets believed to be linked to Iraq's attempts to build up a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction.

The streets were soon busy with traffic, people on their way to work and children heading for school.

But behind the normality, there was clear evidence of the night's raids.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations headquarters humanitarian workers were on standby, waiting for the order to leave.

Many of them were there as part of the oil-for-food scheme agreed between the U-N and Iraq.

The Iraqi Trade Minister, Mohammed Salah, attended an opening ceremony at the Baghdad International Trade Fair where he opened a section displaying Jordanian products.

He said U-S and British aggression would eventually fail.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Well, the Iraqi people will confront and resist this military aggression that has taken place yesterday by the United States and by Britain and they will eventually fail in their objectives and the Iraqi people will win eventually."
SUPER CAPTION: Mohammed Salah, Iraqi Trade Minister

On the streets, the mood of the Iraqi people was defiant in the face of what they see as Western aggression.

Newspapers led with reports of Saddam Hussein's address to the Iraqi people on Wednesday.

The attacks were condemned as a desperate attempt by U-S President Bill Clinton to save his own political career.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"The aggression is unjust and unfair. They don't have a justification for it and yet they don't have any right to attack us. They got what they wanted."
SUPER CAPTION: Ali Karim, Baghdad resident

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"God damn Clinton, his scandals are spread all over the world. We wanted Iraq to cover up his scandals because he will be discharged soon."
SUPER CAPTION: Jassin Hassan, Baghdad resident

Preparations at this Baghdad sweet shop for the Moslem fasting month of Ramadan continued as normal.

Clinton said he launched the raids now so as not to conflict with the holy month and its observance.

Not all the bombs hit their targets.

One landed in the residential Al-Adel district of Baghdad, damaging this nearby house.

Three people were injured.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)
"This is a barbaric attitude. This is unfair. No one will agree with this deed, God willing we will eventually win."
SUPER CAPTION: Ahmed Hani, neighbour

While the damage so far appears to have been limited, more attacks are expected in the coming days as the U-S and Britain continue their attempts to shatter Saddam Hussein's leadership.

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