[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

[Last week Reuters reported that the US navy had chartered a large civilian cargo carrier to take battle tanks to the Gulf at the end of September. However, sources familiar with the ship's manifest claim that the cargo is missiles, ammunition and tracked transport vehicles for a build-up of munitions for an air campaign. In the next move up to 20,000 US Marines from Camp Pendelton in California are to arrive in the region in mid-October.]

Whoever is leaking this intel should be prosecuted big time.

['What is clear,' said one source, 'is that the US and Britain have begun the air phase that would be required for a wider attack, launching raids under the auspices of the existing no-fly zones. The intention is that Iraq will have no air defence capability at all should the US and UK decide to attack. It is a pretty strong message to Saddam.']

It's more than that. The war has commenced.

[Since the Gulf war, the US has more than doubled the rate at which it can fly and ship troops around the world; it can have close to 100,000 troops available within weeks.]

Very impressive. Saddam beware the ides of November.

[Dark Wing]

ping

[Cobra64]

This might all be over with by the time Tommy Daschle's got it figured out. hehe, wink, nod, guffaw...