Cruise Missile Strike - 17 January 1993
Operation Southern Watch

On January 17, 1993, US forces struck 8 buildings at the Zafraniyah Nuclear Fabrication Facility, located just outside Baghdad, in response to Iraq's refusal to cooperate with UN inspectors. Even though tactical aircraft were available, the President and the Secretary of Defense chose the Tomahawk for the strike because they wanted to avoid the potential loss of pilots or aircraft and unacceptable damage to nonmilitary targets. US forces fired 46 Block II TLAM-C missiles, 42 of which (91 percent) were successfully launched and transitioned to cruise flight. Most of the missiles hit the target complex, while one was apparently struck by Iraqi anti-aircraft fire and crashed into the Al Rasheed Hotel, killing two civilians, and seven were unaccounted for.

Resources

• Tomahawk Sea Launched Cruise Missile
• Cruise Missiles: Proven Capability Should Affect Aircraft and Force Structure Requirements (Chapter Report, 04/20/95, GAO/NSIAD-95-116)

Documents

• ATTACK SHOWS U.S. FULLY BACKS U.N. IRAQ MANDATE (Transcript: Fitzwater 1/17 briefing)
• U.S. MISSILES HIT IRAQI NUCLEAR PLANT By Alexander M. Sullivan - USIA White House Correspondent (01/19/93)
• Cruise Missiles in the Gulf War