Egyptian Parliament Slams US-British Strike Against Iraq

Egypt's People's Assembly (parliament) condemned on Saturday the US and Britain for their air strikes against Baghdad overnight, the state-run MENA news agency reported.

The bombings, which Iraq said left two civilians dead and more than 20 others injured, were "an aggression against the Iraqi people," Speaker of the Parliament Ahmed Fathi Sorour said in the name of all lawmakers.

He said that the Parliament's National Affairs Committee will hold a meeting to study the developments in Iraq and prepare a report for the parliament.

According to the Pentagon, 24 US and British warplanes struck five Iraqi military targets eight to 32 kilometers from the Iraqi capital Baghdad, using various long-range precision-guided weapons.

The attack, dubbed by the US a "routine mission," was the first on the Iraqi capital since December 1998, when the US and Britain launched a four-day bombardment against Iraq for its alleged refusal to cooperate with UN arms inspectors.

This was also the first air strike against Iraq ordered by US President George W. Bush.

Iraq has been under international sanctions since its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.






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