WASHINGTON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein plans to avoid open desert fighting and mass his forces
in major cities in case of a U.S. invasion, the Los Angeles
Times reported on Thursday.
The strategy was outlined in general terms to Iraqi
regional officials, unnamed current and former U.S.
intelligence officials told the newspaper. The statements were
relayed from Iraq to U.S. intelligence operatives through Iraqi
defectors and opposition groups.
"Hussein's comments on a defensive strategy represent the
first indication of how he intends to respond to any U.S.
attack. A former U.S. intelligence official said he was told of
Hussein's comments during recent meetings with Iraqi dissidents
and opposition groups in London. A U.S. defense intelligence
official said American intelligence has collected similar
information and considers it reliable," the Times reported.
Saddam's strategy appears to center on drawing U.S. forces
into Baghdad and other cities, where his equipment and troops
would be surrounded by civilians and less exposed to United
States warplanes, which played a major part in the Gulf War.
"Military targets in Baghdad are sprinkled among a
population approaching 5 million. Hussein has constructed an
elaborate warren of underground bunkers and escape routes," the
Times reported.
President George W. Bush and his national security team
were briefed on several options on Monday by Gen. Tommy Franks,
head of U.S. Central Command.
Among those options was a plan in which the United States
would strike Baghdad first in an attempt to separate Iraq's
military forces and equipment and cause a collapse of the
regime, the newspaper said.
Experts told the Times it was difficult to assess how long
it would take for U.S. forces to seize Baghdad, partly because
of questions about the potential performance and loyalty of
Saddam's elite troops and intelligence agencies.
President Bush promised on Wednesday to be "patient and
deliberate" in considering options concerning Iraq but signaled
that the United States remained committed to toppling a
dictator accused of developing weapons of mass destruction and
supporting terrorism.
"These are real threats, and we owe it to our children to
deal with these threats," Bush said in a speech at Madison
Central High School in Madison, Mississippi.
In Baghdad on Thursday, Saddam said he was not frightened
by U.S. threats and his country was ready to repel any attack.
"There is no other choice for those who use threat and
aggression but to be repelled even if they were to bring harm
to their targets," Saddam said in a 22-minute taped televised
speech to the nation.
"I say it in such clear terms so that no weakling should
imagine that when we ignore responding to ill talk, then this
means that we are frightened by the impudent threats ... and so
that no greedy tyrant should be misled into an action the
consequences of which are beyond their calculations," he said.
((Americas Desk, Washington, 202-789-8015))
08 AUG 2002 08:39:11 Saddam plans urban campaign if U.S. attacks-LA Times
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