[AmericanInTokyo]

Oh cmon. "President has not yet decided

He HAS decided to launch war, and within the next few weeks. The American military ramp up that anyone can notice, in addition to 'training' in areas near Gulf, and other call ups, and the Senate and House votes, shows that we are in fact going to war. The worldwide press knows this as well.

[NormsRevenge]

Thu Oct 10,11:28 AM ET

The U.S. military could be prepared for war with Iraq as soon as December, according to U.S. officials and analysts. Experts in and out of government said five U.S. aircraft carriers with 350 warplanes could be off Iraq before year's end if ordered and tens of thousands of troops could be sent much more quickly than the six-months build-up to the 1991 Gulf War (news - web sites). An F-16CJ patrols the Northern No-Fly Zone over Iraq in an undated photo. (Vincent A. Parker/USAF via Reuters)

[fogarty]

To do this right, I would say the activation of at least 50,000 more reservists would be required. Perhaps more. You're talking a huge reliance on airpower and air mobility. The biggest chunk of pilots and support crews for MAC (and even combat fighters) is reservists.

And if they take in more than a couple divisions (which they should), that number could be as high as 100,000 reservists.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

United States is discussing with Britain permission to build shelters for bat-wing B-2 stealth bombers on Diego Garcia.

I thought that was a done deal!

[hchutch]

It'll be by the end of October. One of two scenarios:

1. UN Resolution passes next week. Iraq spouts defiance. We go in.

2. UN Resolution vetoed by PRC and France. We go in to take down al-Qaida members hiding there, pointing out the findings in the Congressional Resolution.

Either way, the clock's ticking, and it's really a matter of days.

[RightWhale]

"You could start a reasonably good war in December by getting at least a couple of heavy divisions (about 40,000 troops) into the region," said former Assistant Defense Secretary Larry Korb

Stress on "former." It's going to be dangerous even if the enemy sits on their country estates and watches the parade go by. There are tons of chemicals and biologicals that would be hard to deal with and dispose of in the best of times.

[The Great Satan]

Figure this gets kicked around for another few months in the UN, with more weapons inspections hoopla to kill time, then military action cranks up sometime in the spring of 2003. Anthrax vaccine will be on hand to protect the civilian population by early 2004, so figure that Bush will time things so that Saddam's back is to the wall about six months before the next Presidential election -- and not before.