Posted on 03/27/2007 10:28:12 AM PDT by quidnunc
On the morning of Feb. 28, 1991, more than a half-million U.N.-sponsored coalition troops from land, sea and air were poised to crush the final core of Saddam Hussein’s army that just seven months earlier had stormed into Kuwait and ravaged it.
A day earlier, tanks from the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division, sweeping in a vast pincer movement into Iraq from the north and west, had demolished rear elements of Saddam Hussein’s fleeing Republican Guard. In less than an hour, American armor and supporting aircraft blew apart 60 heavy T-72 tanks, nine T-55 tanks and 38 armored carriers. One analysis of the Gulf War described the duel as “more like a one-sided clay?pigeon shoot than an armored battle.”
What was left of Saddam Hussein’s best troops at dusk on Feb. 27 were four or five Republican Guard divisions, nearly cut off near Basra and facing the same fate as earlier fleeing Iraqis from Kuwait who were pounded relentlessly by coalition air power. So within hours, Saddam’s entire military-political infrastructure would be nearly wrecked – and thus any chance that Baathist Iraq could threaten its neighbors or even rein in its restive minorities.
But then suddenly, at 8 a.m. Feb. 28, the coalition stopped. A cease-fire was declared – a mere 100 hours after the land war began, less than six weeks after the start of the punishing air campaign. In the words of Colin Powell, chairman of the joint chiefs, who was the leading advocate of cessation, “There is chivalry in war.” He added that they should all worry about the “psychic cost” of butchering a supposedly defeated enemy.
And besides, a 100-hour-war had a nice ring to it.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at legion.org ...
Yes, and that was said to all, in the context of answer to the direct question of whether or not the U.S intended to [at that time] continue on to Baghdad, removing both Saddam, and his army.
Saddam had his chance, was given plenty of chances to chill out... He decided to play games instead, secretly plotting deadly WMD revenge. Once the U.N. 'oil-for-food' limitation on Iraq's exports were lifted, and all U.N. weapons inspectors permanently removed, it would have only been a matter of time until he handed off WMD of various sort to groups like Hamas or even Hezbollah.
The FreeRepublic contributor "jveritas" has posted translated Iraqi documents on this very board proving not only that this was recorded [by written means] to have been discussed by those in the highest levels of Iraqi government, but further, there was even a audio recording of Saddam responding [to one putting forth the idea of poisoning U.S. civilian water supplies] to which Saddam said, "aah, but it won't be Iraq that does it", in which context the plain meaning was that Iraq wouldn't have been caught doing it.
These third party, non-state actors, would be the delivery "vehicle". After which he could have smiled, saying "who, me?" as thousands, or millions, died here in the U.S.
This basic similar threat exists now from the fundamentalist Mullahs, and they are OPENLY on the way to creating a plutonium stockpile. But then, I'm certain you know this.
It simultaneously amazes and grieves me, that the democrat politicians and electorate both, cannot grasp the seriousness of the current situation.
I don't believe that would have happened very quickly despite the cries by the French and Russians right up until 9/11 to lift the sanctions. The UN was making lots of money thru fees to administer the program [read cash cow] and there were plenty of others outside of Iraq benefiting as well. Saddam had enough money to get anything he wanted.
This basic similar threat exists now from the fundamentalist Mullahs, and they are OPENLY on the way to creating a plutonium stockpile. But then, I'm certain you know this.
They also have enough money to short circuit the whole procress and buy what they need from the cash starved North Koreans or rogue elements in Pakistan or disaffected Soviet scientists. The world is much more dangerous with the possibility of non-state actors running around with WMD. It makes the job of deterrence and retaliation much more difficult if well-neigh impossible. We are entering a very dangerous period in world history. The people who try to minimize the danger like Brzezinski did in his recent WP article, "Terrorized by 'War on Terror' How a Three-Word Mantra Has Undermined America, fail to grasp the seriousness of the threat.
Failing to finish destroying the Republican Guard, and calling on the Kurds and Shia to rise without helping them was neither right, nor nothing.
And .. this is just another of the reasons I never liked Colin Powell.
He never had the stomach for VICTORY! He was against going into Iraq .. and because Bush wouldn't listen to him and chose to side with Rummy and Cheney, Powell never got over it.
Just another stupid stinking liberal in a uniform.
Let me know if you want in or out.
Links: FR Index of his articles: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson
His website: http://victorhanson.com/
NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp
New Link! http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/
But if you go back and look at the quote I posted there, you want want to ask yourself WHY CHENEY DIDN'T OFFER THAT -- INSTEAD OF THE STATEMENT HE MADE -- AS A RESPONSE?!
Logic is a fascinating subject, too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.