Operation Southern Watch
The Operation Southern Watch was a military operation with the objective of a no-fly zone in Iraq to enforce south of the 33rd parallel. The operation took place between the end of the Second Gulf War and the beginning of the Third Gulf War , from 1991 to 2003. It was carried out by the Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) .
Operation Southern Watch began on August 27, 1992 with the aim of enforcing UN Security Council Resolution 688 , which required Saddam Hussein to end reprisals against the civilian population of Iraq.
The operation was carried out by military forces from the United States , the United Kingdom , France and Saudi Arabia , the commander of the forces reporting directly to the United States Central Command .
During the time of Southern Watch there were also regular combat missions, of which, however, was rarely read in the western press. These missions served the interception of aircraft as well as the bombing of air defense within the no-fly zone. Before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, combat operations increased, which was explained by the increased use of air defense (including radar monitoring and targeting of Allied aircraft). However, it was later announced that the increase in bombing was planned in Operation Southern Focus .
Operation Northern Watch was conducted in northern Iraq .
