In the early morning hours of June 27, 1993, the United States launched twenty-three Tomahawk cruise missiles from ships in the Red Sea in the direction of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Most of the
missiles struck the headquarters building of Iraq's Intelligence Service. Three of the missiles landed off-target in residential areas, where five to eight persons were killed and one dozen seriously injured. U.S. President Bill Clinton expressed regret for the casualties.1
The Clinton Administration explained that the raid was a response to a plot by Iraq to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush. The Iraqi Intelligence Service, the Administration said, orchestrated the plot, hence the choice of its headquarters as the target. The Clinton Administration took the matter to the United Nations Security Council (Council), where it presented evidence to substantiate a plot by Iraq to assassinate Bush. Iraq denied the charge. The United States said that its raid was lawful self-defense. Iraq asked the Council to condemn the United States for aggression. The Council declined to do so, thus siding with the U.S. position.
