In 1998, the United States launched Operation Desert Fox, a four-day bombing campaign against Iraq. Codenamed Operation Desert Fox, this military operation was aimed at degrading Iraq’s ability to produce weapons of mass destruction and to weaken Saddam Hussein’s grip on power.
The operation was a joint effort between the United States and the United Kingdom, and it was carried out in response to Iraq’s failure to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding the country’s weapons of mass destruction programs. The operation targeted key military and government facilities in Iraq, including weapons factories, air defense installations, and command centers.
Operation Desert Fox was an intense and concentrated bombing campaign, with over 600 airstrikes carried out in just four days. The goal of the operation was to severely disrupt Iraq’s ability to produce and deploy weapons of mass destruction, as well as to weaken Saddam Hussein’s regime.
The operation was met with mixed reactions from the international community. While some countries supported the action as a necessary response to Iraq’s non-compliance with UN resolutions, others criticized the operation as an unjustified act of aggression.
In the aftermath of Operation Desert Fox, Iraq’s ability to produce weapons of mass destruction was significantly degraded. However, Saddam Hussein remained in power, and Iraq continued to defy international efforts to disarm.
Overall, Operation Desert Fox was seen as a limited success in achieving its objectives. While it did disrupt Iraq’s weapons programs, it did not ultimately lead to the removal of Saddam Hussein from power or the complete dismantling of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction capabilities.
Despite this, Operation Desert Fox served as a warning to Iraq and other rogue states that the international community would not tolerate the development and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It also demonstrated the willingness of the United States and its allies to take military action to enforce international norms and security.