Lancer hits regime leadership target

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Rick Burnham
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  An Air Force B-1B Lancer struck a building in a residential area in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 7 where a high-level Iraqi leadership meeting was believed to be ongoing.

Officials at U.S. Central Command confirmed the attack during the daily press briefing at their forward headquarters in Qatar on April 8. Army Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, CENTCOM deputy operations officer, said there were strong indications that high-level Iraqi regime leaders were present at the meeting.

"We had credible information there was a regime leadership meeting occurring yesterday," he said. "We had an opportunity to attack that particular regime leadership meeting, and we believe the attack was effective in causing the destruction of that facility."

The general left open the question as to what specific Iraqi leaders were present, opting to wait until investigations of the site could be conducted.

"Our efforts remain focused on regime leadership wherever we can find it, and any remnants of command and control that might be exerted by any remaining forces of the regime, whether it is tactical or on a larger scale," he said.

CENTCOM officials said the attack was carried out by a single B-1B Lancer that dropped four precision-guided, 2,000-pound, Joint Direct Attack Munitions on the building, located in the al Mansour section of Baghdad.

The strike marks the second time in recent days that coalition air strikes targeted top-level Iraqi leaders. U.S. and British officials said April 7 they believe the body of Ali Hassan al-Majid, also known as "Chemical Ali," had been found in the rubble of his Basra home after it had been hit by bombs dropped from Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons.

"We believe that the reign of terror of 'Chemical Ali' has come to an end," said Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during a Pentagon press conference April 7. "To Iraqis who have suffered at his hand, particularly in the last few weeks in that southern part of the country, he will never again terrorize you or your families."