Posted on 09/21/2002 6:27:27 PM PDT by bonesmccoy
President Bush has received a detailed Pentagon plan containing military options for deposing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein a senior defense official said Saturday
The highly classified plan, delivered to the White House in early September by Gen. Tommy Franks, the Central Command chief who would execute any military action in Iraq, will undergo additional refinements in the weeks ahead, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
On a visit to U.S. troops in Kuwait, Franks said Saturday his forces are ready if called upon.
"We are prepared to undertake whatever activities and whatever actions we may be directed to take by our nation," he said at a news conference. But he also noted: "Our president has not made a decision to go to war."
Thousands of American and Kuwaiti forces are preparing to begin a large-scale training exercise, called Eager Mace, using amphibious, ground, air and naval forces. The exercise, which is held periodically in the Kuwaiti desert — most recently in May 2001 — has not been publicly announced.
Franks' delivery of his war plan to Bush was first reported in Saturday's New York Times. The newspaper cited officials familiar with war planning as saying the Franks' plan contains the number of ground troops, combat aircraft and aircraft carrier battle groups that would be needed to knock out Iraq's air defenses and military communications and then seize Baghdad.
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee ( news - web sites) this week, Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a key concern of war planners is the possibility that Iraq would launch an attack on U.S. and allied forces in the region using weapons of mass destruction. He suggested that Iraq's means of delivering such weapons — by ballistic missile, aircraft or other means — would be among the priority targets at the outset of a U.S. attack.
As Bush considers his options for using military force against Iraq, his administration is simultaneously consulting with Russia and other countries on a new U.N. resolution that would threaten Iraq with war if it does not meet its decade-old obligation to disarm.
Russia is leaving the door slightly open to compromise on the U.N. resolution. Russia's decision could turn on whether it gets new and convincing evidence that Saddam is building up stockpiles of dangerous weapons.
Talks will continue at the United Nations ( news - web sites), where the United States and Britain are trying to overcome resistance from Russia, China and France to leveling new demands without proof.
A defiant Iraq announced Saturday that Baghdad would reject any new U.N. resolutions Saddam's government believes are unfavorable.
"The American officials are trying ... to issue new, bad resolutions from the Security Council," Iraq's state-run radio said.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Bush's request for a congressional resolution to authorize the use of force against Iraq continues to draw a mixed reception.
Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., criticized Bush's approach and said "we must not be hell-bent on an invasion until we have exhausted other possible options to assess and eliminate Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction program.".
"We must not act alone," he said. "We must have the support of the world."
But Sen. Joseph Lieberman ( news, bio, voting record), D-Conn., said there was now broad support among Democrats for Bush's resolution. "We feel that the president should be authorized to take military action (without) the U.N. if the U.N. will not do it," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
This war is waged because...
What would be funny is if the so called practice exercise turned out to be the real invasion. Picture it, Franks announces the practice drill, a few media folks are on hand but not many, as troops advance towards the border, instead of stopping, they go straight thru to Bagdad.
I will pray but I am not worried because the President has the Big Guy upstairs right by him
Daschle needs to get with the program. The radio address today did NOT sound conciliatory with the Senate!
Excellent!
heh heh (i know i know... i'm prayin!)
The plan is on the desk.
It is not in the coat pocket.
It is not in the back pocket.
It is not in the depression in the carpet left by Monica's knees.
It is on the desk.
GWB: Now, Dick, we need you to go to a secure location.
Please Mr. President, no more secure locations... Can I go to a football game instead?
Well, I'd like to go to a football game too.
Powell: Can we get back to the war plans?
GWB: Great work guys... er... I mean... guys and the woman who's making it work!
Hey, I'm outta here... It's FOOTBALL time!
Cheney rallies the boys
Cheney: Back in Washington we got these Senators that I'd like to whack just like this!!!
Cheney: Now, Russert, how many times are you going to ask me that question? The President needs to make his decision. The plans are not on his desk... err... I mean ARE on his desk now...heh heh...
Condi: OK Mr. President... step one... two...
GWB: I thought I was leading this thing???
Cheney: Now, Russert, how many times are you going to ask me that question? The President needs to make his decision. The plans are not on his desk... err... I mean ARE on his desk now...heh heh...
(oops..Previously, with wrong image...)
You're probably right about that. I know you're not supposed to do this, but I'm thinking politically again about the war instead of militarily.
But IF our forces are already in place, sufficient to do the job, I'd LOVE to see a month's worth of breathtaking victories in Iraq just prior to the election. Iraq could quite possibly be defeated by then, patriotism would be running at an all-time high, republicans would be loved, and Dubya worshipped. That would make a huge difference in the elections, and the RATS would be crushed.
If Dubya has to wait until October 30, I don't know if there will be enough time . . . All I want to do is defeat Iraq and the Axis of Evil, destroy al Qaeda, bury bin Laden and Arafat, conquer cancer, heart disease and diabetes, stamp out poverty though full-employment, imprison all the welfare cheats, repair the potholes -- but even more important -- beat the RATS on Nov 5! ;-)
Very, very bad destruction near my house. The local fire station had the front facade sheared off and their radio tower wrapped around the building like a ribbon. It is only 1/4 mile from us. Six lots north of us are really badly damaged houses....roofs gone, trees uprooted, garages and wings of homes crushed.
We are thankful for all the prayers. My grandson's school had the tornado pass right over them...sucked all the skylights out and imploded the front windows! Yikes!
The headline in the Indianapolis paper says: "Miracle: No one was killed."
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