§ 17. Mr. GallowayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what operations Her Majesty's armed forces have been engaged in over Iraq in the last month; and if he will make a statement. [127273]
§ Mr. HoonIn the month to 30 June, coalition aircraft have continued to patrol the no-fly zones over Iraq in support of UN Security Council Resolution 688, which demanded an immediate end to Saddam' s brutal repression of his people. During that time, the Iraqi air defence system attacked or threatened coalition aircraft carrying out their legitimate duties on 18 occasions. Acting entirely in self-defence, RAF aircraft took part in eight operations against those military facilities threatening or attacking our aircraft.