Hussein Orders Craft Into ‘No-Fly’ Zone

President Saddam Hussein ordered his helicopters into the U.S.-patrolled “no-fly” zone in southern Iraq, saying he intended to fly home Iraqi pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia. Any U.S. action threatening the aircraft or pilgrims “will be met with the suitable response to deter aggression,” the state-run Iraqi News Agency warned. The White House urged Iraq to not use aircraft in the zone without first applying for permission. “We will respond appropriately, but we’re not going to shoot down civilian helicopters,” Press Secretary Mike McCurry said. The U.S. and its allies set up the zones in southern and northern Iraq after the 1991 Persian Gulf War.