US dismisses Saddam warning

Saddam Hussein: "Leave and take your planes with you"

The United States has dismissed a warning from Saddam Hussein to stop American aircraft from policing the no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq.

The Defense Department in Washington said it would continue to monitor the air exclusion zones set up following Iraq's 1991 invasion of Kuwait.

This follows a warning from Saddam Hussein that Iraq would retaliate against planes which were "attacking" it.

If you want to save your pilots and planes from the fire of the courageous combatants of Iraq, you must leave

Saddam Hussein

On Wednesday, US and UK aircraft bombed Iraqi anti-aircraft positions in the north.

Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke told Reuters news agency: "We plan to continue to police the no-fly zones and we continue to maintain that we will respond at a time and place of our choosing to threats against our pilots."

In a speech to mark the 13th anniversary of the end of the Iran-Iraq war, the Iraqi leader warned Western countries:

"If you want to save your pilots and planes from the fire of the courageous combatants of Iraq, you must leave and take your planes and warships with you, and stop attacking Iraq."

Iraq considers the no-fly zones to be illegal and has long tried to shoot down an allied plane.

Rebuilt

US defence officials fear Iraq may have improved its ability to strike at unarmed reconnaissance planes.

They believe Iraq has rebuilt its air defences since allied aircraft attacked radar and communications targets around the Iraqi capital in February.

An Iraqi missile almost hit a US spy plane a few weeks ago and US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned last week that American and British pilots faced an increased danger from Iraq.

Saddam Hussein said Baghdad had the right to upgrade its air defence systems.

He said Washington was using the new Iraqi defence arsenal as a pretext to attack.

Similar pretexts were used to launch the Gulf War in 1991 and subsequent attacks on Iraq, he said.