Posted on 02/01/2003 12:28:13 AM PST by ONA-ASIS
War crunch time nears, RAAF deploys
The federal government on Saturday declared crunch time for a war on Iraq was fast approaching as another 440 Australian troops prepared to deploy to the Persian Gulf for a possible attack.
A squadron of 14 F/A-18 Hornet fighter planes, three C-130 Hercules transport planes and an Air Forward Command Element will leave Australia within a fortnight.
Making the announcement in Adelaide, Defence Minister Robert Hill said Australia's commitment of more than 2,000 troops to the Gulf region would cost taxpayers several hundreds of millions of dollars.
But he maintained the government had not committed to an attack on Iraq.
"The purpose of the pre-deployment ... is to attempt to apply maximum pressure upon (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein to comply with the Security Council resolutions to disarm peacefully," Senator Hill said.
"And also to ensure that our force elements are properly prepared in the region ... in the event that the government makes a subsequent decision that it is necessary that they be part of a coalition force."
HMAS Kanimbla, with about 350 personnel aboard, left Sydney for the Persian Gulf last month while SAS troops and a small RAAF reconnaissance team were already in the Middle East.
Senator Hill said specialist troops to deal with weapons of mass destruction, Chinook CH-47 troop-lift helicopters, a quick reaction support force and a navy clearance dive team were on standby for deployment.
He said he expected the United Nations Security Council to make a decision on military action in Iraq soon after it received another report from chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix on February 14.
"It is coming to crunch time," Senator Hill said.
"I don't think there's any doubt about that.
"Saddam Hussein has got to understand that this is not going to go on forever."
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he believed the UN would authorise an attack on Iraq if Mr Blix's next report said Iraq had continued to defy international demands to disarm.
"If there isn't a fairly rapid turnaround in the Iraqi position towards the inspections, I think there is actually a reasonable chance of a resolution going through the Security Council," he said.
"I think there is a good chance of that."
©2003 AAP
We've come halfway round the world with the beer and the gear to kick some rear.
And some Hercs are going too. Hmmm. What for? Flood relief work... dropping hay bales to stranded camels on the Tigris river flats or something?
It's called an afterburner mate. The boost is caused from directly dumping fuel into the exhaust of the engine.
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