§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the objectives of the attack on Samawa, Iraq, on Saturday 20 January. [147786]
596W
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave him on 25 January 2001,Official Report, columns 659–60W. This action had no other objective than the protection of our aircrews while they carry out humanitarian patrols of the no-fly zones. In January alone the Iraqis fired on coalition aircraft on at least 17 occasions, more than in any month in the previous year. In the face of these continuing, determined attempts by the Iraqi Integrated Air Defence System to kill coalition pilots, we will take the appropriate measures to protect them.