JEDDAH, 30 March 2003 — Saudi Arabia said yesterday that it had protested to Washington about four US Toma
hawk cruise missiles falling in the northwestern part of the Kingdom by mistake. The misfires did not cause any casualties or damages.
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has lodged an official protest with the United States about the fact that the missiles fell on its territory," the Saudi Press Agency reported, quoting a Defense and Aviation Ministry spokesman.
Three missiles fell in northwest of the Kingdom while the fourth one landed west of Ras Mishaab, the spokesman said. "The missiles fell in desolated areas and did not cause any damage," he pointed out.
The American government has expressed its regret at the "unintentional" incident, the Saudi official said, adding that a probe has been launched into the cause "and to ensure the security and safety of the Kingdom and its citizens."
The spokesman reiterated that Saudi Arabia will not participate in the US-led war on Iraq in any form. Riyadh has earlier called for an immediate halt to the devastating war.
The Saudi protest has apparently prompted US commanders to suspend certain routes for missile launches.
"Basically, we have a situation where the Saudis have said, 'Can you see if you can figure out what has caused this?'" Maj. Gen. Victor Renuart told a news conference in Qatar. "And so we have agreed with them to conduct a review of those launch procedures. We've actually coordinated with the Saudis to hold on a couple of routes where they could be close to any civilian population," he said.
In Washington, a US defense official said: "They (the Saudis) said, 'Just don't come through this corridor until we figure out what's going on.'"
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official added that "more than one and less than five" missiles had come down in the Saudi desert, adding that the missiles did not explode and that the suspension had not hindered US war operations.
The US official said he did not know whether the cruise missile flights were suspended at the request of the Saudi or Turkish government, or whether US forces decided on their own to hold off until they had determined what caused the missiles to go astray.
The cruise missiles are fired from ships and have a range of more than 1,600 kilometers (960 miles). The missiles have 1,000-pound warheads but are not armed until they reach their pre-programmed target.
