ShiningIce
3rd Level Green Feather
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2002
- Messages
- 4,707
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- 38
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. war plan calls for the launch in March of three or four hundred cruise missiles a day at the start of a war on Iraq, more than were fired during the entire first Gulf War (news - web sites), according to a televised report on Friday.
U.S. officials and analysts have predicted for months that an attack on Iraq would be swift, massive and designed to catch Baghdad by surprise.
But the report by CBS Television, quoting Pentagon (news - web sites) sources, offers new details of Pentagon thinking at a time when the Bush administration is undergoing a military buildup and trying to persuade President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) force will be used if he does not disarm.
A Pentagon spokesman declined comment.
CBS said the battle plan, called "shock and awe," focuses on the "psychological destruction of the enemy's will to fight rather than the physical destruction of his military forces."
"If the Pentagon sticks to its current war plan, one day in March, the Air Force and Navy will launch between three and four hundred cruise missiles at targets in Iraq -- more than were launched during the entire 40 days of the first Gulf War. On the second day, the plan calls for launching another three to four hundred cruise missiles," the network reported. During the 1991 Gulf War, a U.S. led armored column swept into Kuwait and destroyed Saddam's elite Republican Guard divisions in the largest tank battle since World War II.
But this time the target is the Iraqi leadership and the battle plan is designed to "bypass Iraqi divisions whenever possible," the network reported. ((Reporting by Carol Giacomo, editing by Sandra Maler; Reuters messaging: [email protected])
U.S. officials and analysts have predicted for months that an attack on Iraq would be swift, massive and designed to catch Baghdad by surprise.
But the report by CBS Television, quoting Pentagon (news - web sites) sources, offers new details of Pentagon thinking at a time when the Bush administration is undergoing a military buildup and trying to persuade President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) force will be used if he does not disarm.
A Pentagon spokesman declined comment.
CBS said the battle plan, called "shock and awe," focuses on the "psychological destruction of the enemy's will to fight rather than the physical destruction of his military forces."
"If the Pentagon sticks to its current war plan, one day in March, the Air Force and Navy will launch between three and four hundred cruise missiles at targets in Iraq -- more than were launched during the entire 40 days of the first Gulf War. On the second day, the plan calls for launching another three to four hundred cruise missiles," the network reported. During the 1991 Gulf War, a U.S. led armored column swept into Kuwait and destroyed Saddam's elite Republican Guard divisions in the largest tank battle since World War II.
But this time the target is the Iraqi leadership and the battle plan is designed to "bypass Iraqi divisions whenever possible," the network reported. ((Reporting by Carol Giacomo, editing by Sandra Maler; Reuters messaging: [email protected])
