Iraq Friday renewed its threat to shoot down American U-2 surveillance planes flying U.N. missions, saying the United States previously has used the flyovers to gather information for attacks.
Holding up charts of the flight path of a U.S. U-2 spy plane used by the weapons inspectors, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz issued the warning, adding fuel to the two-week standoff with arms monitors."I know that the U-2 is entering the Iraqi air space in order to take the photographs to enable the American army to attack the Iraqi targets," said Aziz, dressed in an olive green uniform. "I simply cannot accept that."
In Washington Friday, a senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said any Iraqi attempt to shoot down a U.N. surveillance plane would be considered an act of war and would be met with a military response.
The official gave no indication U.S. military action was imminent.
The Iraqi threat followed unsuccessful efforts by a U.N. delegation to persuade Iraqi leaders to rescind an order expelling American members of U.N. weapons inspection teams, said envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.
Chief weapons inspector Richard Butler had suspended the U-2 flights while the diplomatic mission was in Baghdad but said they will resume Monday. Aziz argued that if the flights are restarted, they could again be used to gather data in support of a U.S. air attack.
Speaking Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen said the crisis was fast escalating and raised the prospect of military options to rein in Iraq.
"Clearly some action has to be taken. Hopefully, the United Nations will move on this rather quickly," Cohen said on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Iraq again Friday refused entry to weapons inspectors, turning away three teams with U.S. members, according to Charles Duelfer, deputy director of United Nations Special Commission on Iraq, the group overseeing the arms monitoring.
During Aziz's press conference in Baghdad Friday, Ariz insisted that "Iraq is not seeking a crisis."
He accused the United States of dominating the U.N. inspection teams, saying Americans would never concede that Iraq had complied with U.N. orders to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction.
Until the U.N. Security Council - which includes the United States - is satisfied Iraq has complied, it refuses to lift its crushing economic embargo against Iraq. The sanctions were imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990.
"To be in a position where the adversary is the judge, that is unacceptable," Aziz said.
"The American government says openly, clearly, that it is not going to endorse lifting the sanctions on Iraq unless the leadership of Iraq is changed," he said.
"They cannot be satisfied unless the White House, the CIA, the Pentagon tells them to be satisfied," Aziz said of the U.N. monitors.