U.S. warplanes on Thursday attacked Iraqi air-defense sites in a "no-fly" zone in northern Iraq, after western aircraft patrolling the zone were targeted by radar and anti-aircraft guns, the U.S. military said. The U.S. European command based in Germany said all warplanes departed the area safely. There was no immediate report of damage on the ground. U.S. and British jets have been policing no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq for more than a decade. The zones were set up after the 1991 Gulf War to protect Kurds and Shi'ite Muslims from attack by President Saddam Hussein's military. The exchange, latest in a long series, came amid recent media reports of growing debate within Washington over what to do about U.S. determination to remove Saddam from power.

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