Posted on 03/22/2003 10:40:49 AM PST by kattracks
U.S. war commander confident of victory
By Jeff Franks
CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar, March 22 (Reuters) - U.S. General Tommy Franks on Saturday promised a campaign of unprecedented power and flexibility to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and uncover weapons of mass destruction Washington says he has hidden.
In his first briefing since the start of the conflict on Thursday, Franks warned that tough days may lie ahead, but he confidently predicted that the forces under his command would work together to meet their objectives.
Franks said the battle plan sought to protect non-combatants as much as possible.
"This will be a campaign unlike any other in history," Franks, flanked by commanders from Britain, Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands, told about 200 journalists at U.S. Central Command's battle headquarters outside Doha.
It would be "a campaign characterised by shock, by surprise, by flexibility, by the employment of precise munitions on a scale never before seen and by the application of overwhelming force," he said, adding:
"The outcome is not in doubt. There may well be tough days ahead but the forces on the field will achieve the objective that has been set out by the governments of the coalition."
Franks said the coalition he commanded was fighting a war based on unprecedented firepower and flexibility.
He gave few details about the actual progress of the war, but said: "We believe we are on our time-line."
He said his forces moving north through Iraq were collecting information about the weapons of mass destruction the allies say Saddam possesses. He did not say any weapons had been found, but expressed certainty they would be.
TALKS WITH IRAQI OFFICIALS
"There is no doubt that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction and as this operation continues those weapons will be identified and found along with the people who produce them and guard them," he said. "There is no doubt about that. It will come in the future."
So far, no chemical weapons are known to have been used against the invading forces.
Saddam has said he destroyed his weapons of mass destruction after the 1991 Gulf War, but the United States and its allies insist he still has them and invaded Iraq on grounds he must be removed from power to remove a threat.
Franks said he did not know if Saddam was dead or alive after ferocious missile attacks on Baghdad this week, but that there were signs of confusion in the Iraqi government.
"I believe command and control is not exactly as advertised on Baghdad television," he said.
Franks said the allies were already talking with Iraqi officials about the war and its outcome. "We have ongoing dialogues...with a number of senior Iraqi officials, and those discussions, both with people in uniform and not in uniform, will continue in the hours and the days ahead."
The general from Texas was asked whether his forces were in control of the key southern city of Basra, but he replied only that the plan was to work with the people there and avoid military confrontation. Reports from the front have spoken of battles on the outskirts of the city.
He said U.S. and British troops moving through Iraq had been welcomed by the Iraqis and that thousands of Iraqi troops had surrendered or simply put down their weapons and gone home.
Franks said every precaution was being taken to protect civilians.
"We should all be very confident that the application of force that is going into the country is designed to be so precise that it avoids in every way possible exposure of non-combatants," he said.
U.S. General Vince Brooks, briefing with Franks, said nine out of 500 oil wells in the southern area of Rumaila had been set on fire. Iraq has denied sabotaging oil wells.
FMCDH
Nope
Depends on your definition of of "it".
If it means the "liberation" of Iraq I wouldn't be so sure.
As an example. If we held a "free and fair" election the day after the cease fire the Ba'th party would probably easily win the election.
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