Posted on 08/15/2002 8:42:32 AM PDT by frmrda
U.S. letter to Arab leaders: 'There will be no turning back'
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Thursday, August 15, 2002 LONDON — The United States has warned Arab leaders to prepare public opinion for a change in the Iraqi regime.
Diplomatic sources said the Bush administration has sent letters to the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and other Arab states in the Middle East. The letters, said to be nearly identical, assert that Washington is determined to topple the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
U.S. officials did not confirm the message, Middle East Newsline reported. But in Washington, U.S. National Security Council Adviser Condoleezza Rice stressed in an interview on Thursday with the British Broadcasting Corp. that the Bush administration has presented a powerful case for toppling Saddam.
"We certainly do not have the luxury of doing nothing," Ms. Rice said. "We believe the case for regime change is very powerful."
The London-based Al Hayat daily reported on Thursday that the text of the letters said Washington was preparing a military strike against Baghdad that would include the use of air force bases in the Middle East. The letters reported that the United States was deploying soldiers in the region and transporting a range of unspecified weapons for the attack on the Saddam regime.
"There will be no turning back from the military option," Al Hayat quoted the letters as saying.
A U.S. official said the Bush administration has sent envoys to the Middle East to relay the U.S. determination to destroy the Saddam regime.
The official, who did not want to be identified, said the Defense Department has been meeting with Arab analysts and journalists in an effort to sway public opinion against Iraq. The Pentagon has also discussed with Saudi nationals likely Iraqi targets of any U.S. war and distributed satellite photographs of sensitive Iraqi installations, including Saddam's palaces.
[On Wednesday, U.S. Central Command reported that British and U.S. fighter-jets struck two Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries in southern Iraq. A Central Command statement said the allied aircraft used precision-strike weapons.]
At the same time, the United States has urged Arab allies to help Iraqi opposition forces, which were said to have been given a limited military role in the campaign against Saddam. A delegation of Iraqi opposition leaders who visited Washington last week is planning a tour of Arab countries and Iran. The visit is said to have been in coordination with the State Department and the Iraqi National Congress, the largest umbrella opposition group and financed by the United States.
An Iraqi opposition source said the delegation will focus on Saudi Arabia, the most reluctant U.S. ally to support a regime change in Baghdad. The source said Egypt has signalled its readiness to help in any U.S.-led war against Saddam.
I only meant once it starts.....we coming together(no whiny liberals crying over a Baby Milk factory destroyed).
See I think Saddam has sleepers here and if he knows the end is near he will unleash them.....
Can you imagine the RATS if say a city gets vaporized..
BUMP
Dad straightened us out on that very early in life. "Yep, we're here. I'll pull over and we'll all get out, ok?" [puzzled looks] "Well then, I guess we all know that we're not there yet."
We'll all know when we're there, old sport. ;-)
I've got to remember that one -- my kids only give that to me as a joke, but I would love to see the looks on their faces if I said that...
Here Arabs, tell Saddam to evacuate these sites.
The U.S. are clearing the way for an infettered Wahhabism to build a bridge to the eighth century.
I wish I could claim that I knew this current "war" was enevitable... But only upon reflection of what has been taking place since the "Oil-crisis" of the 70's has it become pretty obvious. There is indeed "NO TURNING BACK"... but I wish people would keep in mind that this is a situation the USA has never sought.
I get really irritated with people who are so gung-ho and want us there now.....WE WILL GO WHEN WE ARE READY.
I think you haven't been paying attention.
I'd like to celebrate September 11th in Baghdad.
As good as "we" were in '91... "We're" better now!
I agree with you... this time around it will be at a time of "our choosing."
My very best regards to you and yours.
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