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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 11, 2002)
10 Thursday, July 1 1, 2002 m THE BAIll Possible U.S. attack would give Hussein little notice WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is capable of launching a rapid attack on Iraq by mar shaling 50,000 troops at the Kuwaiti border in roughly a week, airlifting them in and bringing their tanks and heavy equipment on ships through the Strait of Hormuz. That would give Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein just a few days’ notice, rather than the six months he had before the 1991 Gulf War. It also might elimi nate America’s need to rely on bases in neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia or Jordan, whose gov ernments say they want the United States to leave Iraq alone. A risk is that Saddam still would have time to launch missiles — perhaps carrying poison gas or anthrax — toward U.S. troops in Kuwait or civilians in Israel, say military experts eyeing the options if President Bush decides to take on Iraq. Such a surprise attack also might fall short of the main goal of toppling Saddam, requiring a backup plan involving thousands more American troops. For now. Bush seems focused on covert action: He signed an order earlier this year directing the CIA to increase support to Iraqi opposition groups and allowing possible use of CIA and Special Forces teams against Saddam. Bush also recently unveiled a new policy that allows for pre-emptive action against enemies who have weapons of mass destruction. If covert attempts fail, many expect Bush to try military action, and perhaps look for an element of sutprise. “We could have a situation where on Monday, it first looks like there will be a war, on Friday troops are in Kuwait, and by (the next) Thursday they’re in Baghdad,” said John Pike, a defense analyst in Washington. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Catching the enemy off guard A surprise attack on Iraq might give the United States a strategic advantage. Getting enough trodps and equipment into position is one challenge the military would face. \ o 200 km Iraqi Military An attack would likply tap 50,000 troops or mere, including those stationed in Bahrain, Kuwait, Omdn, Qatar and other ^surrounding countries. TROOPS Active 429,000 Reserve 650,000 VEHICLES Tanks 2,200 Armored 4.400 Strait of Hormuz ..... i BAHRAIN —<rr . AIRCRAFT Fixed wing 350 . Rotary BOO QATAR \ U.A.E. SOURCES: Department of Defense; Center for Defense Information; Encyclopaedia Britannica: Associated Press; ESRI Wednesday that Bush has indicated he’s made no decisions on Iraq. “The president is, of course, con sulting with nations around the world about all of America’s plans, diplomatic and otherwise, in the war against ten'orism,” Fleischer said. Many U.S. officials and lawmakers believe 200,000 or more soldiers could be needed to topple Saddam, a force that would require months to move to the region. The hope behind a swifter attack is that the Iraqi army would crumble in shock if Saddam — with lit tle warning — appeared doomed, said retired Rear Adm. Stephen Baker, an analyst at the Center for Defense Information in Washington. Thus, fewer American troops would be needed for success, the argument goes. U.S. officials might try to delay knowledge of any such impending attack by, at first, explaining the troop movements as merely the beginning of a six- month buildup. There are risks. One is that Iraqi troops, especially Saddam’s Republican Guard, would not give up, instead bog ging American soldiers down in difficult urban war fare within Baghdad. Using fewer American troops also increases the risk that Iraq might disintegrate into ethnic conflicts if Saddam falls, said Anthony Cordesman, an ana lyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. The biggest risk is that Saddam would retaliate with biological or chemical weapons. That might happen even if America does a slow military buildup, said Baker, who along with others consid ers this the critical danger. In any surprise attack, the keys would be: — Air power: The United States could launch strikes off air craft carriers in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, and from land bases in Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Diego Garcia and possibly Turkey. The military also might try, early on, to seize airfields in western Iraq itself and also use Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. Help from neighboring Saudi Arabia or Jordan isn’t strictly needed, Cordesman said, but it would give the United States more military flexibility to have Saudi staging areas. Jordan reiterated on Wednesday that it would not allow foreign troops to use its territory for any attack against Iraq, a position the Saudis also have publicly taken. — Moving troops and equipment: Transport ships carrying heavy equipment, weapons and tanks from Guam, Diego Garcia and elsewhere could be sent to the Persian Gulf region without attracting much initial notice. Tower of fire Fire students battle a blaze at one of the 21 live-fire props at the 120 acre Brayton Fireman Training Field on Wednesday. Over JOSHUA HOBSON • THE BAP 600 students from 15 different countries- enrolled this week and their expert ranges from volunteers to career firefighie: NEWS IN BRIEF Briseno granted reprieve from death HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - A parolee condemned for killing a South Texas sheriff more than 11 years ago won a reprieve Wednesday less than four hours before he was scheduled to be executed. Jose Briseno's lethal injec tion was halted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals after his attorneys found a prison record indicating the former laborer had an IQ that would make him mentally retarded. The U.S. Supreme Court last month ruled it is unconstitu tional for mentally if people to be executed "We started looking all the records andfe' old prison form, a tion form, for an Incas he had in the early lawyer Richard Bus "There was a blank: said IQ, and it said: mviMMMma. Heat COME FIND OUT WHERE EVERYONE ATE THE FIRST HALF OF SUMMER summei R/hile tr Kew Yo ind Cal Wom t Bcience tei’s dej Nevi at ion ol while oi Beca COME SEE WHAT A REAL NEW YORK But in STYLE SUB TASTES LIKE D D D Now accepting all major credit cards, Aggiebucks and ATM Cards l The telecast iBsrving ■ This ipated ii | The T fas the qi ;is the s Krueger Clint student Show th< Open till 2:00 a.m. Friday a Saturday nights! 301-A COLLEGE MAIN BETWEEN CAMPUS ARID RIORTHGATE PARKIRIG GARAGE 979-846-8593 ^CE^! 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