Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Defence – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 19 February 1991.
Allied pressure on the Iraqi military machine continues to grow. The main weight of the air campaign is now directed against Iraqi forces in and near Kuwait, and the Iraqi navy has been largely destroyed. Yesterday, British artillery was in action for the first time in a limited engagement. This is part of the preparations for the ground campaign which will be inevitable unless Saddam Hussein complies with UN Security Council resolutions.