[01] UNITED STATES FIRE CRUISE MISSILES ON IRAQI MILITARY BASES

[02] WORLD REACTS TO US ATTACK ON IRAQ, GREECE NOT SURPRISED BY RAID

[03] FORMER US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DUKAKIS MEETS WITH PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT

[04] INTERNATIONAL LAW EXPERTS TEACH SEMINARS N THESSALONIKI

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] UNITED STATES FIRE CRUISE MISSILES ON IRAQI MILITARY BASES

The United States fired 25 to 30 cruise missiles on south Iraq today, in retaliation for Baghdad's massive military incursion into the Kurdish region in northern Iraq.

The Pentagon announced that the unmanned cruise missiles were fired at "selected air defense targets in Iraq," but defense officials said that the missiles were fired from U.S. warships in the Gulf and by at least one B-52 bomber against air defense and command-control targets in southern Iraq.

The decision to strike was drawn by US President Bill Clinton last night and the attack lasted one hour. The United States government will await reactions from Baghdad and has adopted a wait-and-see attitude on whether or not the Iraqi forces will withdraw from the region, which has been assigned protected-zone status by the United Nations.

American officials are not ruling out the possibility that President Clinton may order new attacks on Iraq, in light of the upcoming presidential elections in the US. Mr. Clinton had been criticised for lack of leadership in dealing with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

[02] WORLD REACTS TO US ATTACK ON IRAQ, GREECE NOT SURPRISED BY RAID

Greek Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis, commenting on this morning's cruise missile attack on southern Iraq by the United States, stated that the event did not exactly come as a surprise.

"One way or another, we were all waitng for this to happen. It's an episode in line with many other episodes that have taken place in the past," Mr. Arsenis stated.

However, he did express the fear that similar episodes could occur in the future "in a wider region where the international competitions continue strong."

The Greek Defense Minister stated that the region's uncertainty is a given factor, and the conditions provide Greece with the opportunity to play a dynamic, stabilizing and peacekeeping role. "It's not only the era of dangers, it's also the era of opportunities," Mr. Arsenis concluded.

According to BBC radio, British Defense Minister Michael Portillo has stated that Britain has lent logistical support to the US but no British attack aircraft. Spanish Foreign Minister Abel Matutes stated in a radio interview that Spain wished Washington had delayed its strike against the Iraqi targets and declined to voice support for the attack. China urged Washington and Baghdad to exercise restraint, while Russia's news agency Interfax quoted country officials as saying that the events in the Gulf were "extremely dangerous." Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller cancelled her scheduled two-day visit to Jordan, were she was to travel today.

Japan said that it supported the US air raid. The French News Agency reported that the dollar rose sharply on the Tokyo stock exhange as soon as it became known that the Americans attacked Iraq. The dollar is presently set at around 109.30 yen.

[03] FORMER US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DUKAKIS MEETS WITH PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT

Former US presidential candidate and former Massachussets governor Michael Doukakis, met with the President of Greek Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis today.

In light of the recent episodes in Iraq, where the United States fired cruise missiles against Iraqi military forces, the two men steered their discussion on the region and Mr. Doukakis stated that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is "crazy."

Mr. Kaklamanis stated that Greece would be content if the US agreed to act similarly for Cyprus.

In turn, Mr. Doukakis expressed his optimism by stating that, in case US President Clinton is elected, he is more so optimistic for the resolvement of Greece's national issues.

"These problems cannot be resolved without international cooperation," Mr. Doukakis stated.

Mr. Kaklamanis commented that Mr. Clinton has displayed sensitivity but, he added, he believes that Greece's positions will be better served through the help of the Greek community living abroad and Mr. Doukakis' input.

[04] INTERNATIONAL LAW EXPERTS TEACH SEMINARS N THESSALONIKI

Eleven outstanding international relations and law experts are to offer a series of seminars and lectures in Thessaloniki between September 9-27, offered for the 24th year by the city's Institute of International Law and International Relations.

The series will focus on the theme "International Law at the Turn of the Century" and is organized jointly by the Law School of Thessaloniki's Aristotle University, Municipality of Thessaloniki and the local Bar Association.

The issues to be discussed include "The International Court of Justice Today", "The United Nations, Regional Security and State Succession" ,"Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in Non-International Armed Forces", "The Development of hte Law of International Organizations", "The Role of the U.N. Charter in the Future Development of International Law", "The Dilution of Members States' Sovereignty and European Economic Integration", "The International Law and the Mass Destruction Weapons", "New Law of the Sea: the Emergent Norms and Institutions".

The seminars are aimed at academics, diplomats, journalists and lawyers. Speakers include Ferrari Bravo, Italian Professor and Judge at the International Court of Justice, E. McWhinney, Canadian Professor of International Law and Member of Parliament, M. Sahovic Yugoslavian Professor of International Law and former member of the UN Law Commission, R. P. Anand, Indian Professor at J. Nehru University New Delhi, among others.

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