Six months of fevered negotiations and anxious prayers culminated in war tonight, as U.S. forces began bombing targets in Iraq and Kuwait shortly before 7 p.m. EST.

A squadron of F-15E Eagles took off from air bases in Saudi Arabia at 4:50 p.m. EST., and correspondents in Iraq began reporting flashes of light and heavy anti-aircraft fire around Baghdad shortly before 6:30 p.m. CBS News reported that the U.S. launched unmanned Tomahawk cruise missiles against Iraqi targets. No ground fighting was reported.

In a televised address at 9 p.m. tonight, President Bush said that the international coalition arrayed in the Persian Gulf had commenced an air attack to drive Iraqis forces out of Kuwait and to destroy Iraq's chemical weapons capability and nuclear potential.

"We will not fail," Bush said.

Bush said that he had ordered the attack because all efforts to negotiate a peaceful withdrawal of the occupying forces with Iraqi President Saddam had failed, leaving military action as the only recourse.

"Some may ask, why not wait?" Bush said. "The answer is clear, that the world could wait no longer."

Bush said "all reasonable efforts" to resolve the Persian Gulf by diplomacy had failed and that Iraqi President "Saddam Hussein met every overture of peace with contempt."

He said he had been assured by the top American military commander that the air operations were proceeding according to plans. He said no ground forces were involved in the assault against Iraqi positions in Kuwait and Iraq.

Bush repeated his oft-standing pledge that "this will not be another Vietnam," vowing, "I have said this before and I repeat this here tonight, our troops will not be asked to fight with one hand tied behind their back. Our troops will have the best possible support."

At a press briefing at 9:30 p.m. this evening, Gen. Colin Powell, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the air attack had not yet met resistance.

"The preliminary reports that we have received...are very encouraging," Defense Secretary Richard Cheney said at the briefing.

Cheney said that no reports of any Iraqi reprisals had been confirmed.

U.S. officials confirmed the attack--officially dubbed "Operation Desert Storm"--at 7:05 p.m. tonight, when presidential spokesperson Marlin Fitzwater declared that "the liberation of Kuwait has begun."

"As of 7:00 p.m., Operation Desert Storm was engaging targets in Kuwait and Iraq." Fitzwater said.

The offensive included U.S.-allied forces and was aimed at Iraqi troops in both Iraq and Kuwait, U.S. officials said. Bush said that he had not ordered any ground attack.