View source for Cruise missile strikes on Afghanistan and Sudan (August 1998)

{{Expert-subject|Military history|date=November 2008}}

{{Infobox Military Conflict
|conflict=Operation Infinite Reach
|partof=the [[Post-Cold War era]]
|image=[[Image:Operation Infinite Reach .jpg|300px]]
|caption=<small>[[Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory|Pharmaceutical factory in Shifa]], Sudan destroyed during Operation Infinite Reach</small>
|date=August 20, 1998
|place=[[Afghanistan]], [[Sudan]]
|casus=[[1998 U.S. embassy bombings|bombings of US embassies]] in [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]], rapid escalation in Al-Qaeda operations.
|result=Disputed
|combatant1={{flagcountry|United States}}
|combatant2= [[Image:Flag of Jihad.svg|22px]] [[Al-Qaeda]]<br>[[Image:Harakat flag.png|22px]] [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]]<br>[[Image:Flag of Sudan.svg|22px]] [[National Islamic Front]]
|commander1=[[Anthony Zinni]]
|commander2=[[Image:Flag of Jihad.svg|22px]] [[Osama Bin Laden]]
|strength1=Around 10 warships and 5 submarines
|strength2=Unknown
|casualties1=None
|casualties2=[[Image:Flag of Jihad.svg|22px]] 6 killed,<ref name="berg"/><br>[[Image:Flag of Sudan.svg|22px]] 1 killed
|casualties3=Alleged "tens of thousands" of indirect deaths in Sudan 
}}

The '''August 1998 bombings of Afghanistan and Sudan''' ([[codename]]d '''Operation Infinite Reach''' by the United States) were American [[cruise missile]] strikes on [[terrorism|terrorist]] bases in [[Afghanistan]] and a pharmaceutical factory in [[Sudan]] on August 20, 1998. The attack was in retaliation for the [[1998 U.S. embassy bombings|bombings of American embassies]] in [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]] which killed 224 people (including 12 Americans) and injured 5,000 others.

==Al-Shifa plant bombing and controversy==
{{main|Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory}}

The missiles were launched from US warships in the [[Red Sea]]. Several hit the [[Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory]], which the United States claimed was helping [[Osama bin Laden]], the mastermind of the embassy attacks, build [[chemical weapons]]. One man was killed and ten were wounded in Sudan by the strike.

Then [[United States National Security Council]] advisor [[Richard A. Clarke|Richard Clarke]] stated that intelligence existed linking Osama bin Laden to Al-Shifa's current and past operators, namely the [[Iraq]]i [[nerve gas]] experts and the [[National Islamic Front]] in Sudan.<ref>[http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/38284880.html?did=38284880&FMT=ABS Embassy Attacks Thwarted, U.S. Says; Official Cites Gains Against Bin Laden; Clinton Seeks $10 Billion to Fight Terrorism]</ref> The government of Sudan demanded an apology from both the [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush]] administrations; but none has been given, since U.S. intelligence still believes the plant had ties to chemical weapons. According to [http://www.9-11commission.gov/hearings/hearing8/cohen_statement.pdf#search='william%20cohen%209%2F11%20testimony' testimony] by [[William Cohen]], "...the U.S. intelligence community obtained physical evidence from outside the al-Shifa facility in Sudan that supported long-standing concerns regarding its potential role in Sudanese chemical weapon efforts that could be exploited by al Qaeda."<ref>[http://www.9-11commission.gov/hearings/hearing8/cohen_statement.pdf Statement of William S. Cohen] (Page 9 of PDF)</ref>

Officials later acknowledged, however, that "the evidence that prompted President Clinton to order the missile strike on the Shifa plant was not as solid as first portrayed." Indeed, officials later said that there was no proof that the plant had been manufacturing or storing nerve gas, as initially suspected by the Americans, or had been linked to Osama bin Laden, who was a resident of [[Khartoum]] in the 1990s."<ref name="sorry">[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/international/africa/20khartoum.html Look at the Place! Sudan Says, 'Say Sorry,' but U.S. Won't], ''The New York Times'', 2005/10/20</ref> 

Unfortunately the factory was Sudan's primary source of [[pharmaceuticals]], covering the majority of the Sudanese market. [[Werner Daum]] (Germany's ambassador to Sudan 1996&ndash;2000) wrote an article in which he estimated that the attack "probably led to tens of thousands of deaths" of Sudanese [[civilian]]s.<ref>[http://hir.harvard.edu/articles/print.php?article=909 Universalism and the West]</ref> The U.S. [[Bureau of Intelligence and Research]] wrote a report in 1999 questioning the attack on the factory, suggesting that the connection to bin Laden was not accurate; [[James Risen]] reported in the ''[[New York Times]]'': 
<blockquote>

"Now, the analysts renewed their doubts and told Assistant Secretary of State [[Phyllis Oakley]] that the [[Central Intelligence Agency|C.I.A.]]'s evidence on which the attack was based was inadequate.  Ms. Oakley asked them to double-check; perhaps there was some intelligence they had not yet seen. The answer came back quickly: There was no additional evidence.  Ms. Oakley called a meeting of key aides and a consensus emerged: Contrary to what the Administration was saying, the case tying Al Shifa to Mr. bin Laden or to chemical weapons was weak."<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060909050523/http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/sudbous.htm To Bomb Sudan Plant, or Not: A Year Later, Debates Rankle]</ref>
</blockquote>

The Chairman of El Shifa Pharmaceutical Industries, who is critical of the Sudanese government, more recently told reporters, "I had inventories of every chemical and records of every employee's history. There were no such [nerve gas] chemicals being made here."<ref>[http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2004/0126/p01s05-woaf.html Sudan shifts from pariah to partner]</ref>  Sudan has since invited the U.S. to conduct chemical tests at the site for evidence to support its claim that the plant might have been a chemical weapons factory; so far, the U.S. has refused the invitation to investigate.  Nevertheless, the U.S. has refused to officially apologize for the attacks, suggesting that some still suspect that chemical weapons activity existed there.<ref name="sorry"/>

==Attack on camps in Afghanistan==
[[Image:Operation Infinite Reach 2.jpg|280px|left|thumb|Satellite image showing an [[al-Qaeda]] training camp in Zhawar Kili]]
{{rquote|right|Interestingly, even if bin Laden had been there, it would have taken a good deal of luck to kill him. The camp facilities at Khowst are fairly extensive and cover a substantial piece of ground.|[[Michael Scheuer]], CIA Station Chief<ref name="schu">Scehuer, Michael. "Marching Towards Hell", 2008</ref>}}
About 75 cruise missiles were fired by the US into the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] at four [[Afghan training camps]],  [[Al Farouq training camp]], Muawai camp run by the Pakistani [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]] to train militants to fight Indian troops in [[Kashmir]], not Americans.<ref name="rashid">Rashid, ''Taliban'' (2000), p.134) </ref><ref>http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/hua.htm Harakat ul-Ansar (HUA)</ref> and another in the Jarawah area near Khost, as well as [[Zhawar Kili al-Badr]] which was directed by bin Laden, and known to be a meeting place for leaders.<ref>''New York Times'', August 27, 1998, p.A8</ref><ref>Steve Coll (2005) ''Ghost Wars'' (paperback ed.) 409-10.  Penguin: [[ISBN 0-14-303466-9]].</ref>  

The attack was made partly in an attempt to assassinate bin Laden and other leaders. <ref>Coll, 410.</ref>  After the attack, the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] heard that bin Laden had been at Zhawar Kili al-Badr but had left some hours before the missiles hit.<ref>Coll, 411.</ref> 

The earlier arrest of [[Mohammed Odeh]] on August 7 while traveling to meet with Osama, is said to have alerted bin Laden, who canceled the meeting which meant that the camps targeted by the cruise missiles were mainly empty the day of the US strike.<ref>Gertz, Bill, "Inside The Ring: Missing bin Laden", ''[[Washington Times]]'', September 18, 2008, pg. B1.</ref> 

According to Pakistani journalist [[Ahmed Rashid]], 20 [[Afghanistan|Afghans]], seven [[Pakistanis]], three [[Yemen]]is, two [[Egyptians]], one [[Saudi]] and one [[Turkey|Turk]] were killed.<ref name="rashid"/> [[Abu Jandal]] later estimated that only six men had been killed in the strikes.<ref name="berg">Bergen, Peter. "The Osama bin Laden I Know", 2006</ref> The only confirmed death in the strikes was Egyptian-Canadian [[Amr Hamed]]. Osama bin Laden jokingly told militants at the al-Jihad merger that only a few camels and chickens had died.<ref>Temple-Raston, Dina. "The Jihad Next Door", 2007.</ref>

U.S. President Bill Clinton announced the attacks in a TV address, saying the Khost camp was "one of the most active terrorist bases in the world,"<ref>''New York Times,'' August 22, 1998, p.A10</ref> adding that "I want the world to understand that our actions today were not aimed against Islam" which he called "a great religion."<ref>''New York Times,'' August 21, 1998, p.A8</ref> 

Some saw this as a way of attracting attention away from the [[Lewinsky scandal]].  On August 17, three days prior to the missile strike, President Clinton admitted in a nationally televised presidential address<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/newshour/lewinsky_address/address.html nationally televised presidential address]</ref> that he had an inappropriate relationship with [[White House]] intern [[Monica Lewinsky]].

==Reaction==
*{{flagicon|United Nations}} [[United Nations]] - [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]] [[Kofi Annan]] was "concerned over these developments and awaits further details."<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{AUS}} - [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[John Howard]] said the U.S. was entitled to respond to the East African embassy bombings.<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{SDN}} - Thousands of anti-U.S. protesters took to the streets of Khartoum.<ref name="anti">[http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9808/22/air.strikes.follow/ Thousands stage anti-U.S. protest in Sudan], CNN, August 22, 1998</ref> The minister of information of Sudan harshly condemned the attack on Khartoum and denounced Bill Clinton as a "proven liar" with "100 girlfriends".<ref>''New York Times'' August 21, 1998, p.A13</ref> President of Sudan [[Omar al-Bashir]] led an anti-U.S. [[Demonstration (people)|rally]] and warned that his country "reserves the right to respond to the American attack using all necessary measures."<ref name="yeltsin">[http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9808/21/strikes.world.reax.02/ Muslims, Yeltsin denounce attack], CNN, August 21, 1998</ref>
*{{GBR}} - [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]] said he "strongly" supported the U.S. strikes.<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{CUB}} - [[Cuba]] said that "President Clinton ignored the sovereignty of Sudan and Afghanistan and launched a theatrical bombardment which overshadowed his recent sex scandal."<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{GER}} - [[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic)|Chancellor]] [[Helmut Kohl]] said his government supported U.S. strikes.<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{ISR}} - [[Prime Minister of Israel|Prime Minister]] [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] said he "welcomes the U.S. decision to strike targets of terrorists in Sudan and Afghanistan."<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{LBY}} - [[Libya]]n leader [[Muammar al-Gaddafi]] expressed his country's support for Sudan's efforts "in the fight against this aggression," and led an anti-U.S. rally in [[Tripoli]].<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{PAK}} - Pakistan denounced the U.S. missile strikes as a violation of the territorial integrity of two Islamic countries.<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{RUS}} - [[President of Russia|President]] [[Boris Yeltsin]] condemned the U.S. action as "dishonorable" and said [[Washington, D.C. | Washington]] "should have carried out [[negotiations]] to the end," but his spokesman [[Sergei Yastrzhembsky]] said that "Russia and the United States are in the same boat in everything that concerns the fight against world terrorism."<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*{{ZAF}} - "In retaliation", a group calling itself Muslims Against Global Oppression bombed a [[Planet Hollywood]] restaurant in [[Cape Town]], South Africa on August 25, killing two and injuring 26.<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9808/25/s.africa.blast.02/index.html?eref=sitesearch Explosion rips through Planet Hollywood in South Africa], CNN, August 25, 1998</ref>

*[[Image:Flag of Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.svg|25px]] [[Chechnya|Chechen]] Vice-President [[Vakha Arsanov]] said that by attacking Afghanistan and Sudan the United States had launched an "undeclared [[World War III]]", threatened to attack the Americans anywhere in the world, and that Clinton had been put on the "wanted list" for his crimes against the Islamic people and would be tried according to [[Sharia]] laws.<ref>[http://www.tribuneindia.com/1998/98aug24/world.htm Chechnya declares war on USA], PTI, Aug 23 1998</ref> 
*[[Image:Flag of Iraq, 1991-2004.svg|25px]] [[Iraq]] said it was "ready to cooperate with any Arab and international countries to confront the U.S. hostile policies."<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*[[Image:Flag of Taliban.svg|25px]] In Afghanistan the [[Taliban]] denounced the bombing as actually aimed at the Afghan people. The movement denied charges it provides a safe haven for bin Laden and insisted that the U.S. attack killed only innocent civilians.<ref name="yeltsin"/>
*[[Image:Flag of Jihad.svg||25px]] Osama bin Laden pledged to attack the U.S. again.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Ayman al-Zawahiri made a phone call to a Newsweek reporter, stating that "The war has only just begun; the Americans should now await the answer." <ref>[[Lawrence Wright]], [[The Looming Tower]] (2005), page 323. Vintage Books: ISBN 978-1-4000-3084-2</ref>
*[[Image:Harakat flag.png|22px]] Harkat-ul-Mujahideen also threatened to retaliate, saying "The Americans and [[Jews]] should now prepare for their destruction. The self-respecting Muslims of the world ... have announced they will wage a [[jihad|holy war]] against America."<ref name="anti"/>

==See also==
*[[List of military strikes against presumed terrorist targets]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.02/ U.S. missiles pound targets in Afghanistan, Sudan; Clinton: 'Our target was terror'], CNN, August 21, 1998
* [http://clinton6.nara.gov/1998/08/1998-08-20-president-address-to-the-nation.html President Clinton's speech on the attacks, August 20, 1998]
* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/lewinsky_address/address.html President Clinton's speech after testifying to the Grand Jury , August 17, 1998]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruise Missile Strikes On Afghanistan And Sudan (August 1998)}}
[[Category:1998 in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:1998 in Sudan]]
[[Category:Al-Qaeda]]
[[Category:Counter-terrorism policy of the United States]]
[[Category:Clinton administration controversies]]
[[Category:Conflicts in 1998]]
[[Category:Military history of the United States 1900-1999]]
[[Category:Military operations involving the United States]]

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