[NUJ Bristol] Hoon: TV stations are legitimate targets

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11.30am update
Hoon: TV stations can be targets
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,922285,00.html

Matthew Tempest, political correspondent
Wednesday March 26, 2003

The defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, appeared to confirm today that last 
night's interruption of Iraqi TV was the result of coalition bombing.

State television in Iraq blacked out for several hours last night before 
returning on a weakened signal in the early hours.

Questioned this morning on BBC radio, Mr Hoon said that Iraqi state 
television was part of Saddam Hussein's control, command and communications 
network.

He said: "Television stations are not directly targeted in that sense, 
[but] they are part of the military command and control structures and 
certainly they are dealt with as other parts of the communications system 
that allows the military to operate in and around Baghdad are similarly 
dealt with."

During the bombing of Kosovo in 1998, Nato destroyed the headquarters of 
Serbian TV in Belgrade, and the Pentagon authorised the bombing of 
al-Jazeera's office in Kabul during the attacks on Afghanistan in 2001.

Mr Hoon will give an update on the bombing, and the state of any alleged 
uprising in Basra, at a statement to MPs at 12.30pm today, following the 
second prime minister's question time since the outbreak of the conflict.

On the situation in Basra, Mr Hoon said that British forces were doing 
everything they could to assist the rebel elements.

Mr Hoon told the BBC that there had been an attempted uprising on some 
scale in Basra.

He said: "Certainly there have been disturbances, local people rising up 
against the regime. We know that there have been attempts by regime militia 
to attack those same people, their own people, to attack them with mortars, 
machinegun fire, rifles and so on.

"We haven't witnessed it but we know that that is happening from various 
sources.

"Whether it is still happening remains unclear. Night has occurred in Iraq 
and we have continued to do what we can to help, but the situation as of 
this moment is unclear."

He said: "Allied forces, British forces in particular, have been doing what 
they can to help those who would rise up against the regime. We have 
attacked the Ba'ath party HQ, which I think has been substantially destroyed.

"Certainly, efforts have been made to reduce the numbers fighting against 
their own people. We are looking carefully at how best we can provide 
further assistance."

Mr Hoon said he knew nothing of suggestions that there had been more 
British casualties in one recent incident near Basra than had been 
acknowledged publicly.

"I'm not aware of those reports. Certainly, great efforts are made before 
we make any announcements to ensure that next of kin are informed. That 
often applies as well to the particular units involved."

But he expressed regret over the fatal attack on one British tank by another.

"This was another tragic incident. It appears that in the heat of battle, 
when one tank was coming under attack, it turned and fired on another tank, 
and sadly another tank was also a British tank," said Mr Hoon.

Mr Hoon was asked whether the coalition forces' ambition to be regarded by 
the Iraqis as liberators would be compromised by a lengthy siege at Basra 
or Baghdad.

He said: "What we are seeing at Basra does highlight the difficulties that 
we are operating under, but also indicates the strength, ultimately, of our 
position.

"There is little doubt that the people there, and I'm sure this is the case 
in Baghdad as well, have no time for Saddam Hussein or his regime.

"These are people who have suffered over many years at the hands of 
precisely the people who are now offering the resistance.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise that Saddam's thugs and henchmen are going 
to stand and fight because they are precisely the people who have caused 
this situation."

Asked about the much-anticipated implosion of the regime, Mr Hoon said: "It 
has probably started in Basra. I accept that it has not yet started in 
Baghdad ... It depends on the circumstances.

"You are talking about ordinary citizens [who in the past] have been dealt 
with with the most appalling brutality, perhaps even by the very same 
people who are now sitting with machine-guns, rifles, some quite 
sophisticated equipment, continuing to intimidate the population of Basra.

"It is getting at those people that is crucial to our success."

Mr Hoon was also challenged on the prospect of a large, well- armed militia 
defending Baghdad in street-to-street fighting.

The defence secretary said: "We prepared for that, coalition forces are 
prepared for that kind of engagement should it be necessary. We always 
judged that the regime and its supporters would fight for its survival and 
fight in this kind of way.

"We would have preferred to see this regime crack in a different way. But 
if it is necessary, then there is no doubt about our determination - indeed 
preparation - to deal with Saddam Hussein's regime in this way."

Asked whether he accepted that this was now the likely course of the war, 
Mr Hoon said: "No, I don't.

"Clearly, it is an option and military commanders on the ground are looking 
at the best way, as we speak, of dealing with Basra and helping the people 
in Basra who want to resist the regime. The overwhelming majority, I am 
sure, want to see the back of Saddam and all his people."

Mr Hoon was asked why Mr Blair felt it necessary to fly to Washington later 
today for talks with the US president, George Bush.

"I think it is very important when the two leaders meet face to face in 
order to be able to go through clearly, not only their tactics as far as 
the military engagement is concerned, but obviously looking forward to the 
kind of arrangements that will be necessary to engage the UN, to organise 
humanitarian relief, but crucially to think through the way in which we can 
restore Iraq to the community of nations.

"I'm confident that the UN will be involved. There may be a discussion 
about precisely how that will be organised. There will be discussions about 
the appropriate role for the UN, I don't believe that there is any 
fundamental difference of opinion.

"The issue is how we best engage the UN and other international NGOs as 
well as other countries not currently directly involved in the conflict.

"The UN can play a significant part, not least in the continuation of the 
oil-for-food programme and ensuring effective humanitarian supplies. The 
key to this as well is finding the best way for the Iraqi people to govern 
themselves."

Asked whether he wanted to see a UN administration as soon as possible once 
the war was over, Mr Hoon said: "I said that there would have to be 
discussions, and clearly that is part of the way in which the debate will 
have to be continued."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,922285,00.html

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