Third wave of attack on Iraq
Russia recalls envoys to USA, UK

DUBAI, Dec 18 (PTI, Reuters) — The US and British forces launched a third wave of attack on Iraq even as President Saddam Hussein tonight said "there will be no compromise" amidst increasing anger in many countries against the cruise missile attack which killed 25 persons and wounded 75.

US bombers and British Tornados had continued unleashing fresh attacks of Baghdad, US Defence Secretary William Cohen said in Washington. A spokesman of the Royal Air Force said in London that an unspecified number of fighter bombers were "in the air" to attack targets in Baghdad. In Baghdad air sirens sounded minutes after Saddam Hussein said his country would not compromise in its stand-off with the UN inspectors seeking to scrap weapons of mass destruction.

An Iraqi doctor treats a man injured in the first overnight US-led air raids against Iraq, in a shelter of the Lika' hospital in Baghdad on Friday. The Iraqi capital emerged dazed from a second night of heavy bombardment during which at least 10 missiles struck Baghdad, rocked apartment buildings, and reportedly hit a hospital and maternity ward. — AFP

In his first televised address since US-led air strikes started in wee hours yesterday, Saddam said Iraq would not back down in the face of joint air strikes.

"By God, we will not compromise," Saddam said in a taped address carried on Qatari Television station Al-Jazeera.

"We stand against the barbaric way of those that have used our air space to launch an aggression against our people. A curse on the agents of Satan," he said.

Russia, which has criticised the USA and Britain for the attacks on Iraq, today recalled its envoys from these two countries, besides threatening to review its security strategy, including relations with NATO.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov conveyed to US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that the relations between the two countries may "seriously suffer" if the raids against Iraq continued.

The Russian Parliament adopted a resolution following a unilateral lifting of sanctions against Iraq.

Loud explosions shook Baghdad and Iraqi Health Minister Umeed Madhat Mubarak said 25 persons were killed and 75 injured in Baghdad alone. But casualty figures from the provinces were not available.

Iraqi anti-aircraft guns tore into the night sky as British Tornados joined the US Stealth B-52 bombers to bombard Iraqi facilities with at least 10 missiles striking Baghdad overnight.

Meanwhile, another Security Council member — China — has mounted its attack on the US while the UAE, Qatar and Oman, key members of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also condemned the American action.

Interfax news agency said it was the first time Moscow had recalled an Ambassador to the USA since World War II and the first time it had recalled its envoy to Britain since 1971, when London expelled 105 Soviet diplomats.

More than 50 sorties were earlier flown through the night with all planes returning undamaged, officers aboard USS Enterprise said.

In Baghdad, the Iraqi military intelligence headquarters, Special Republican Guards headquarters and Republican barracks were damaged in the attacks, US officials claimed, adding the attacks did not hit civilian targets.

The Iraqi Health Minister gave a grim picture of the sufferings in the sanctions-hit Iraq and said two major hospitals had been damaged since the strikes began yesterday and others were running short of medicines and essential supplies.

However, Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the attacks were intended to "degrade and diminish" the Saddam Hussein regime. But they admitted one missile had indeed hit a civilian and commercial complex causing civilian deaths.

In Beijing, China’s ruling party mouthpiece, The People’s Daily, today blasted US air strikes on Iraq, saying the military action had set a "dangerous precedent".

"The unilateral move by the USA has set a dangerous and odious precedent and shocked the entire world," the newspaper said in a commentary.

The strongly worded editorial added that the attack had "no just rationale" and was based on a flawed report delivered to the UN Security Council by Mr Richard Butler, UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) chief arms inspector for Iraq.

"In reality, the UNSCOM report is only an excuse for the USA," the newspaper said. "There is no legal basis for the strikes," he said.

"The attacks have led to a serious deterioration of global peace and stability and have fuelled a rise in ethnic tensions," it added.

The paper also lashed out at Washington for ignoring the UN Charter and international norms.

"At the turn of the century, the US action impels the international community to make a solemn choice: do we want a peaceful 21st century, or one of hegemonic menace?"

President Jiang Zemin sent a written message to the White House, urging US President Bill Clinton to immediately cease the military operation, state television reported yesterday.

A report from Washington said the USA has closed 40 of its embassies in Africa for the next two days as a precaution because of military action in Iraq and ongoing threats in the region. US officials said "In view of a number of recent threats to our embassies in Africa and the heightened threat environment following the military action in Iraq, most but not all US government facilities in sub-Saharan Africa were ordered to close on December 17 and 18."

Later, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told a news conference: "We have temporarily closed our embassies (in Africa) and done some ordered departures in Kuwait and in Israel because we are concerned about general threats and the heightened situation".

The scope of the closings, even on a temporary basis, is believed to be unprecedented and has raised questions in many quarters of the State Department about whether such a sweeping action is warranted.

The State Department also issued a travel warning for Iraq, telling US citizens to avoid all travel there - and those in Iraq to depart as soon as possible. Except for journalists, US citizens need special permission to travel to Iraq.

Of the 46 diplomatic posts in sub-Saharan Africa, three — Congo, Somalia and Guinea Bissau — are already closed.

House begins debate on impeachment

WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (PTI) — The US House of Representatives opened a historic debate today on four formal charges against President Bill Clinton that could well set the stage for the second impeachment trial in the American history.

The proceedings began shortly after 7.30 p.m. (IST) and a vote was expected to take place tomorrow on what would be the first articles of presidential impeachment referred to the Senate for trial since 1868.

The majority of Republicans decided to go ahead with the debate, rejecting the Democrats contention that the discussion would undercut the authority of President Clinton at a time when air strikes against Iraq were taking place.

The Democrat-sponsored motion was rejected by 225 votes to 183 as five Democrats joined hands with Republicans against the motion securing to stop the impeachment proceedings while U.S. Military strikes against Iraq were under way.

The beginning of only the second presidential impeachment debate in U.S. history followed Speaker-elect Bob Livingston’s stunningly disclosure of marital infidelity last night.

The four articles, alleging two counts of perjury and one each of obstruction of justice and abuse of power, were approved last week by the House Judiciary Committee on party-line votes.

If the 435-member House votes to impeach Mr Clinton —something that could happen possibly tomorrow — he will face a trial in the Senate next year. But a two-thirds majority of senators is needed to remove Mr Clinton — a prospect viewed as highly unlikely at this point.

A house vote for impeachment would send the case to the Senate for a trial, where 67 votes, or a two-thirds majority, will be needed to remove Mr Clinton from office — a result no one expects.

The charges against the President — perjury, abuse of power and obstruction of justice — stem from his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky and his testimony in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case.

Speaker-elect admits to adultery

WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (PTI) — The Speaker-elect of the House of Representatives Mr Bob Livingstone yesterday confessed to adultery, dropping a new bombshell on the Capitol Hill, a day before the House started its historic debate on the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Mr Livingston, a conservative Republican, issued a statement yesterday, saying "after announcing my candidacy for the Speaker, I told a reporter that I was running for Speaker, not sainthood. There was good reason for those words."

"I have decided to inform my colleagues and constituents that during my 33-year marriage to my wife, Bonnie, I have on occasion strayed from my marriage and doing so nearly cost me marriage and my family," he said.

The revelation was only the latest in a series of bizarre twists to a sex scandal and impeachment inquiry poised to reach new heights with a dramatic debate on whether to impeach Mr Clinton.

In his statement, Mr Livingston said, "Forces outside" Congress and media investigations have forced me to disclose my marital infidelity, but he would not be "intimidated" or deterred from doing his duty.