On February 16, 2001, “American and British warplanes were bombing radar and command-and-control facilities around Baghdad in response to what the military considered an escalated threat to aircraft patrolling no-fly zones. [President] Bush was stunned. How had this happened without his knowing in advance? Heading to a news conference with [Mexican President Vicente] Fox, Bush knew the questions would now be about Iraq. Aides advised him not to let on that he did not know about it and to use the word ‘routine’ to describe it. Bush followed the advice, informing the world that ‘a routine mission was conducted to enforce the no-fly zone.’ “
– Peter Baker, Days of Fire, Page 92