Bush Launched an Attack a Month Before 9/11—Against Iraq, Not Al-Qaeda
A foreign enemy was "trying his darndest to bring down a coalition aircraft," said a Pentagon spokesman. He didn't mean bin Laden.
On August 14, 2001, the United States launched a military attack against Iraq, a month prior to the September 11 terror strike. The attack targeted Iraqi communications facilities that had been modernized with fiber optics technology installed by China. The destruction of this network aimed to make Iraqi communications harder to intercept and disrupt the efficiency of Iraq's air defense system.
At the time, there were approximately 20,000 American troops stationed in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to enforce no-fly zones over southern and northern Iraq. In July, Iraq had shot down a U-2 reconnaissance plane and increased use of its air defense system against U.S. and U.K. aircraft. The Bush administration had altered the rules of engagement, allowing for more aggressive responses to threats against coalition aircraft.
These factors led to the military action against Iraq, with the Pentagon stating that Saddam Hussein was trying to bring down a coalition aircraft.
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