Sources: Pentagon to put troops on 'hair-trigger' alert

CNN ^ | 3/14/03 | From Jamie McIntyre

[Jewels1091]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sources say the Pentagon is ready to put U.S. troops massed around Iraq on "hair-trigger" alert -- essentially ready to begin a war if Saddam Hussein attacks U.S. troops, his neighbors or his people out of desperation.

[Colorado Doug]

Just speculation.

And a good speculation at that. IMHO

[AntiGuv]

See my post #34, and I'll also add an eighth reason why a surprise Turkish based northern front probably isn't in the works. Creating such an appearance of division & setback in the Pentagon's planning would reduce the likelihood of Saddam choosing abdication over armed conflict. Moreover, it emboldens our diplomatic adversaries to obstruct the path to war in several other areas - most notably the United Nations. Again, I fail to see the utility of a surprise northern front, for this reason along with the others I've stated previously.

[185JHP]

Is it too much to hope that this will be the end of the "not ready for duty" Osprey? Gotta be a reason we're not sending any... (Billions wasted on trash)

[Squantos]

The Elmo is gonna hit the fan ! Stay Safe !

[AntiGuv]

Is it too much to hope that this will be the end of the "not ready for duty" Osprey? Gotta be a reason we're not sending any... (Billions wasted on trash)

Probably. Both military engagements & political administrations come & go. Pork abides...

[cibco]

I'm a person of few words and sometimes type that way. My point was that the "Turkish" thing is being over emphasized. The Turks have 50k troops at the border. They can head south and a lite US force can come behind them and secure the area so the Kurds would be protected from the Turks. The Turks would have a North/South lifeline and the US would be a buffer to the Kurds to the East. A mutual "stand-off" if you will.

[KickRightRudder]

China is being turned into a monster with our money 100 billion surplus w/the united states last year. That money is going striaght into military development. If we canceled trade we could still crush those communist bastards. We will never stop trade will those facists. Its all about money amigo. The USA stands for nothing else. That didn't used to be the case. Its all Kissinger Realpolitik, no more principle.

There will be no conseqences for betraying the us. Cuba, Iran,others.....its just a matter of time before we abandon the last vestiges of principle. Clinton turned our foreign policy into only trade. We trade with Jordan but those sons of bitches won't even let us use a stinkin airbase! Again, its becoming all about money.

[AntiGuv]

I was responding to this particular speculation:

A WAG would be a thrust south by Turkish forces with American forces behind them to protect the Kurds positions in the area. The Turks would advance on Baghdad while the US forces would move in behind to protect Kurd interests.

Your followup comment does not appear to modify or elaborate on that in such a manner as to alter the points made in my response.

[cibco]

Gotta think out of the box sometimes. ;0)

[SierraWasp]

"Again, its becoming all about money."

What's the matter with you?

The only thing wrong with money is that there's never enough! And when there is enough, it doesn't earn enough! And when it does earn enough, the dang government diverts too much to stuff I don't approve of...

So whatta ya gonna do without money? You want we go back to barter and swappin beads 'er sumthin? Give it up fer money! Money may not be everything, but it's sure way ahead of what ever's in second place!!!

If you hate your's... send it to the Waspman!!!

[bart99]

a_turk

You;ve made many intelligent and supportive posts here, and please don't think we are all 'against' you..... but, I'm going to lay out a scenario you aren't going t like.

Besides the fact that a new government in Turkey has slowed up the works, and didn't even approve the USA to use Turkish land for operations, and now isn't going to vote again (if they are( intime for war, the decision to not allow overfly rights was not a parlimentary one. What does that say?

I believe that syas the Turks don't want a large concentration of tanks and heavy artillary in the northern region of Iraq so that the Turks can feel free, and powerful enough without USA intervention, to quell any KURDISH uprising that may occur, even in Iraq.

So, my friend, I think Turkey now, like France and others is looking after their own self-interest. Amazing that those without self interest are actually with the USA and the UK and Spain in this little endevour.

[bart99]

Interesting speculation, IF the Turks even decided, withtheir new parliment, that they would even PARTCIPATE in this conflict - which they have not.

[cibco]

I was carring on with another conversation with someone on messenger at the same time. I am not saying that this is what will happen. I'm just throwing out a scenerio. The emphasis of the failure of the US to be able to launch a northen assault has made me suspicious. I am just putting forth a possible play on that.

For some reason the Turkish thing is being played as a major setback. I think it could be a possible sucker punch. Saddam seems to have considered it.

There are troops in Texas ready to deploy. Their equipment is on ships that have yet to be off loaded. A reserve force move. After hostilities start. Move equipment where needed. Fly the troops there, marry up with their equipment and go for it.

[bart99]

Why is it I always come in at the end of these discussions? *L*

[cibco]

Don't feel alone. :0) Good night and we can always continue tomorrow...

[AntiGuv]

In my view, the Turkish thing is being played as a major setback because it's a major setback. QED

[Stopislamnow]

From experience in the first GW, and Somalia, you do not put troops on a hair trigger lightly.

First, psychological stress is a people killer, you cannot maintain such stress indefinitely.

Second, optempo rises, and everyone experiences physical stress from accelerated training to maintenance duties to guard duty, to increased flight time/crew rest issues.

Third, most of the units have moved to jump off points(according to news reports) this means mostly MRE's until everything's done due to lack of fresh food, mobile kitchens still serve the canned stuff but some of it is godawful, and being constipated(trust me) for more than a few days just sucks and lowers morale. Packing up and moving tents, latrines, etc and so on is physically demanding on everyone.

Straight up, I say Monday or Tuesday we Liberate Iraq unless Dubya blinks.

[WarSlut]

And, despite what the Traitor-In-Chief clinton said (and hoped)

Said, hoped, and worked eight lonnnnnnnng, hard years to achieve.

[hottomale]

Crop Dusters needed in the Gulf to quell dust in preparations for troop landings. Engineers and science majors needed to calculate the volumn of water or other chemicals needed to suppress flying dust particles. All US Crop Dusters to be alerted for duty.

[Robert_Paulson2]

yes you were saying that and I think I was one of your critics...

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I wanted "to believe". I believed what I heard.
I was also wrong if this turns out to be the case... and I believe it is.

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news that france has been playing us with turkey to delay our deployments and cutoff our equipment... dangling "for membership" carrots in the EU and whatever else... to turkey, perhaps plus a piece of the kurds... rather sickened me.