May 1-31, 2002: US Begins ‘Spikes of Activity’ To Put Pressure on Iraq

The US military steps up its attacks on targets in Iraq’s “no-fly” zones. [London Times, 5/29/2005; London Times, 6/19/2005] US and British warplanes drop 7.3 tons of ordnance on targets in Iraq “no-fly” zones during this month, compared with just .3 tons the previous month (see April 1-30, 2002). [Statesman, 5/30/2005] Two months later, British Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon will say at a British cabinet meeting (see July 23, 2002) that the US has “begun ‘spikes of activity’ to put pressure on the regime.”