In retaliation for targeting US Air Force jets in the "no-fly zone," on August 31, 1996, the US launched 27 cruise missiles to attack Iraqi targets, in what was code-named Operation Desert Strike. According to the US, the attacks were justified due to a "clear and present danger posed by Baghdad to other Gulf states and the flow of oil." In the first 90 minutes of the program, US ambassador to Qatar, Andrew Killgore, discussed the situation. With Killgore's extensive service and experience in the Middle East, Art asked the guest about the reasons behind the attack and the position of America.
Killgore said the president had to do something, and perhaps 60% was for political reasons. He did not think Iraq posed a military threat to the US, but he thought the strike was warranted. He gave a history lesson on the region to answer why America was there in the first place. Open Lines, mainly on the topic of Iraq, took up the rest of the show. Art stated that we were "flirting with war."