Saddam To Face Missile Storm

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-3-2003 | Robin Gedye

[blam]

Saddam to face missile storm

By Robin Gedye, Foreign Affairs Writer
(Filed: 03/02/2003)

America plans a devastating onslaught on Iraq's air defences, political and military headquarters, communications facilities and suspected chemical and biological delivery systems in the opening 48 hours of the expected war, say Pentagon officials.

The first two days of the campaign, in which 3,000 precision-guided missiles and bombs will be fired, will bring the most intense bombing of its kind ever launched.

It will involve 10 times the number of missiles fired at the start of the 1991 Gulf War. The details emerged as The Telegraph learned that the RAF will triple its presence in the Gulf this week.

The bombing will be followed immediately, and in some cases simultaneously, by parachute-assisted assaults involving British and American special forces and airborne divisions.

The tactics are designed to have maximum shock effect to break the morale of the Iraqi army and give its troops no alternative but to surrender or die within hours of the opening attack.

"The war will start with an extremely large bang," a US defence department official told the New York Times. "The point of the exercise will be to avoid fighting in Iraq's cities and persuade Iraqi forces very quickly that there is no point in fighting to defend the regime."

As the precision bombing eases the US army's third infantry division and a contingent of marines will drive north from Kuwait at the same time as the fourth infantry division punches south from Turkey.

The aim will be to prevent Saddam Hussein setting oil fields on fire, flooding the southern marshes to delay ground assaults and from launching chemical and biological weapons.

Tony Blair, who returned from Washington yesterday after his summit with President George W Bush, will tomorrow meet President Jacques Chirac of France, who continues to insist that "nothing yet justifies military action".

[altair]

We really didn't need to know this.

[unspun]

I think that we will need many troops on the ground as soon as possible, in order to receive all the surrenderers in an orderly fashion and to prevent mass havoc. Iran has many factions.

As for how it begins, how about with Saddam being sent 8x10 glossy of the upside down Mussolini, autographed by the leaders of the Allies?

[MHGinTN]

All this happens as soon as Bush lays down an ultimatum, before one cruise missle is fired. There's a fly in your ... Oops! You just ate it.

[EaglesUpForever]

not to Telegraph our actions...