Operation Desert Fox was the military codename for a major three-day bombing campaign on Iraqi targets from December 16-18, 1998 by the United States and United Kingdom.
It was a major flare-up in the Iraq disarmament crisis.
The stated goal of the cruise missile and bombing attacks was to "degrade" Saddam Hussein's ability to produce weapons of mass destruction.
In reaction to the attack, three of five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, France, and the People's Republic of China) called for lifting of the eight-year oil embargo on Iraq, recasting or disbanding UNSCOM, and firing Butler.
See also: Iraq disarmament crisis timeline 1997-2000.