US launches huge attack on Iraq

US-led forces have launched fresh air strikes on the Iraqi capital Baghdad in the first sustained assault in the war to oust President Saddam Hussein.

In tandem with the air strikes, ground troops advanced into southern Iraq - starting at about 1700 GMT - after a heavy aerial bombardment.

Our correspondent says that the former office of Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz has been hit, along with the foreign ministry and planning ministry and now, after a brief lull, the air raid sirens have sounded again.

There are reports that a presidential site belonging to Saddam Hussein's wife may have also been hit.

Iraqi television has broadcast pictures of Saddam Hussein chairing a cabinet session. It was impossible to establish when the footage was shot.

In the south, a huge column of 10,000 United States armoured vehicles, including tanks, advanced across the border from northern Kuwait.

Correspondents say it was an awesome display of power. A Pentagon spokesman said current operations were still "preparation of the battlefield".

Unconfirmed reports say several oil wells in the area are on fire.

British forces have also joined the invasion of Iraq, according to reports from the Gulf.

At a news conference, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld threatened military action of "a force and scope and scale beyond what has been seen before".

He said a damage assessment of targets struck in Baghdad early on Thursday was still "pending", and repeated US advice to Iraqi troops to defect.

Meanwhile, US and British officials say Iraq has fired a number of missiles into Kuwait - a claim denied by Baghdad.

A British military spokesman said Patriot missiles had intercepted some of the 10 Scud-type missiles over Kuwait.

Air strikes

The US launched its war on Iraq with air strikes early on Thursday on Baghdad.

Shortly afterwards, President George W Bush delivered a live television address announcing the start of war.

US officials described the attacks as an attempt to "decapitate" Saddam Hussein's government by killing senior figures.

But the Iraqis said the president had survived the assassination attempt unscathed - he appeared unbowed on television to prove the point.

Saddam Hussein said the "invaders" would be defeated, and he called on the Iraqi people to defend their country.

Iraq said some non-military targets had been hit, including a customs office and a site belonging to Iraqi radio and television.

One civilian was killed and 14 others injured in the US strikes, the International Red Cross later confirmed.

Kuwait alert

British and US troops in northern Kuwait were put on full alert after reports that Iraqi missiles were being fired into the area.

Soldiers immediately donned full protective gear, including gas masks. There are no reports of casualties.

In other developments:

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is to address the nation on the conflict at 2200 GMT

Parliament in Turkey votes to allow US planes to use Turkish airspace for the war on Iraq

The Pentagon says a US special forces helicopter crash-landed in southern Iraq before the attacks began - crew and troops on board were rescued

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls on all sides in the conflict to do their utmost to protect civilians

President Bush addressed the American nation about two hours after the passing of the 0100 deadline he had set Saddam Hussein to go into exile or face war.

He promised a "broad and concerted campaign" and said the US would prevail.

But, he warned, the campaign could be "longer and more difficult than some predict".

DAY ONE OF WAR: OUTLINE OF EVENTS

Thursday 20 March [All times GMT and approximate]

2200 Tony Blair gives a televised speech to the Nation on the beginning of military action in Iraq

2120 US announces it is to freeze all non-diplomatic Iraqi Government funds in the United States and asks other governments to do the same.

2030 Iraqi television says four soldiers have died in the latest fighting. At least 27 surrendered to US-led forces.

2005 Former office of Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz in Baghdad ripped apart.

1859 British forces engage in the conflict for the first time.

1809 Central Baghdad comes under bombardment.

1710 Artillery attacks in southern Iraq appear to signal the start of a sustained ground assault.

1628 Reports say a number of oil wells may have been set on fire in southern Iraq.

1615 US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the military action that was coming to Iraq would be of a scope and scale beyond whatever has seen before.

1600 The Turkish parliament approves overflight rights for US planes involved in Iraq war.

1550 The Red Cross confirms that one person died and 14 were injured in overnight attacks on Baghdad.

1530 Eyewitnesses report considerable bombardment of southern Iraq by US forces.

1530 Downing Street confirms that UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will make a televised address to the nation in the evening.

1426 UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls on the United States and Iraq to do whatever possible to protect civilians during military action.

1350 The Pentagon says a US special forces helicopter crash-landed in southern Iraq before the attacks began. Its crew and troops on board were rescued.

1200 Baghdad denies firing missiles into Kuwait.

1144 British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw tells a press briefing in London that the UK and US had been left with "no option" but to use force.

1050 Iraqi Information Minister says at least one civilian was killed in US attack on Baghdad.

0951 US officials say Iraq has fired four missiles into northern Kuwait - a claim later denied by Baghdad. According to American and British officials, Patriot missiles intercepted two Scud-type missiles over Kuwait.

0946 US troops at Camp New Jersey in the Kuwaiti desert go on alert, but are given the all clear a few minutes later.

0932 Air raid sirens sound in Kuwait city, prompting many residents to put on gas masks.

0922 The UK asks Turkey to open its airspace to British warplanes.

0915 Iran closes its airspace.

0903 US defence official in Kuwait says US air raids on Iraq will continue for two or three days as part of a "pre-battle plan".

0847 The first group of refugees - made up of 25 Sudanese - arrives in Jordan from Iraq.

0832 Iraq's information ministry says Iraqi civilians were wounded in the US attack.

0824 The Palestinian Authority "totally" condemns the war launched by the US against Iraq.

0817 Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday appeals to his Saddam Fedayeen paramilitary volunteer force to be prepared to die as "martyrs" against US-led invaders.

0813 Greece, which holds the EU presidency, says it regrets the Iraq crisis has not been solved peacefully in international unity ahead of a EU meeting to be held on Thursday.

0804 A security source says the two Iraqi missiles fired at northern Kuwait did not cause damage.

0759 British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon says British forces are on a "very, very high" state of alert and that it would not take long before the attack on Iraq escalated.

0754 Reports of massive explosions heard in Kuwait prompt Kuwaiti and US soldiers to go on alert.

0749 Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov says Moscow "expresses regret" over the start of the war against Iraq.

0747 Indonesia condemns US attack on Iraq.

0745 Kuwaiti defence official says Iraqi artillery opened fire on the Iraq-Kuwait border in the area of Kuwait's Rutqa oilfield and US-led troops fired back.

0728 Reports come through that the Nikkei share index has closed nearly 2% higher and that the Australian stock market saw similar gains.

0718 France says it hopes that war in Iraq will end "as soon as possible".

0707 Iraqi Oil Minister Amir Muhammed denies reports that oil wells near the southern Iraqi city of Basra were on fire.

0704 Pakistan says it "regrets" the US attack on Iraq.

0700 Reports of mortar attacks inside Iraq near the Kuwaiti border.

0651 China accuses the US of "violating the norms of international behaviour" and calls for its military to stand down before a full-scale attack on Iraq begins.

0621 Downing Street announces British Prime Minister Tony Blair will hold a war cabinet to discuss the military strikes on Iraq at 0830.

0601 Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi condemns the US attack but says his country will not intervene on either side.

0600 Baghdad air raid sirens sound all clear for second time today, after a second round of bombing on the outskirts of the city.

0530 Iraqi television carries what is says is an address by President Saddam Hussein, vowing that Iraq will be victorious. It is not clear if the speech is live or pre-recorded.

0445 Australian Prime Minister John Howard says Australian forces have already begun combat operations against Iraq.

0401 The US issues a global alert, warning of potential terrorist attacks to American citizens abroad now the conflict has started.

0350 US defence officials say the air strikes so far have been of limited scope, and were designed to prepare the field for more intense operations.

0345 Iraqi radio carries a three-minute statement saying that "the enemies of God" have "committed the stupidity of aggression against our homeland and people".

0315 US President George W Bush addresses the American nation, saying that coalition forces have begun striking targets of military importance in Iraq.

0308 The main frequency of Iraqi state radio is reported to have been taken over by the US military.

0250 White House spokesman Ari Fleischer announces that war has commenced. "The opening stages of the disarmament of the Iraqi regime have begun," he says.

0245 Explosions are heard over Baghdad and anti-aircraft fire is seen in the sky.

0129 White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says: "The disarmament of the Iraqi regime will begin at a time of the president's choosing."

0110 Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev condemns US military moves, saying the United States was acting as if the world was its fiefdom.

0100 United States deadline for Saddam Hussein to go into exile or face war expires.

0020 US National Security Council meeting ends in Washington. A senior administration official later says President Bush decided when to launch a strike on Iraq during the meeting.