Posted on 03/01/2003 5:42:32 PM PST by Pern
U.S. Special Forces have been inside Iraq for months and plan to capture or kill Iraqi President Saddam Hussein within three hours of an assault on Baghdad.
Undercover U.S. agents, CIA operatives and Special Forces teams are already in place in and around the Iraqi capital, reports the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
A government source in a pro-U.S. Middle Eastern country told the paper the plan to ''take out Saddam'' is designed to minimize infrastructure damage, increase the likelihood of Iraqi forces surrendering and save billions of dollars by avoiding a lengthy campaign.
Here's what Hussein has been doing in recent days, according to the report:
- Ordered members of his depleted air force to form a ''kamikaze'' suicide unit which will pilot Iraqi fighter jets Sept.-11-style into enemy targets;
- Added two new units to his forces – the Fidayee Saddam Army and the Special Protection Army. They join the regular army, the Republican Guard, the Special Republican Guard and the Alquds Liberation Army;
- Sent senior officers of his Special Republican Guard to monitor the regular army for any sign of revolt;
- Ordered the arrest of key officers in the air force suspected of treachery. They have been sent to the notorious Abu Graib Prison in Baghdad. Three air force officers – two captains and a lieutenant – who refused to join the kamikaze units were shot last week during the traditional Al Adha feast;
- Established a bio-chemical weapons training base at Al Naserieya, in southern Iraq for use as a last resort against coalition troops; and
- Drew up plans for a scorched earth policy involving the destruction of dams, bridges and oil wells.
Much of the insight into Saddam's plans comes from a former senior officer in an elite Iraqi Army unit who led an uprising against Saddam during the last Gulf War, Captain William Warda, who was granted political asylum in Australia by U.N. edict.
Speaking yesterday, Captain Warda, who is now a senior official in the Iraqi Military Council, said the council was using a complex web of agents inside Saddam's regime to monitor the dictator and his military plans.
''We have received this information from agents still inside Iraq and others who have escaped through Jordan,'' he told The Daily Telegraph.
Saddam is so distrustful of his regular army he has starved it of resources, supplying only minimal stores of ammunition, fuel and food.
Saddam has created a Special Protection Army to protect him from assassination. It is made up of his closest allies, including relatives, tribal loyalists from his birthplace of Tikrit and criminals who face jail should Saddam be toppled. Numbering several hundred, this unit will fight to the death.
The Fidayee Army was formed by Saddam's son Qusay to crush any signs of revolt. The Alquds Liberation Army is made up of retired army officers and Arabs from outside Iraq who have volunteered to fight the ''infidels''.
There has been speculation that a war against Iraq could be all but over within 48 hours, but that hinges on a swift operation to eliminate Saddam.
Due to our superior electronics, plus a little Hollywood magic, we can have Saddam surrendering live on Iraqi TV, followed by clips of various army units disbanding (all the while the real army units won't be able to communicate with each other, other than to hear that the "other" unit they are trying to contact has just surrendered).
The real Saddam won't be left with many options at that point, either.
Game, set, match.
I agree with you. I think our special ops people are the best, when they are allowed to function without restriction. Mogadishu happened because Mad Madeline Halfbright and Less Aspin didn't want to offend the Somalis so they sent troops in with less heavy duty equipment than was needed.
And as to Saddam, and his doubles, let the specical ops boys kill 'em all, then the Almighty can sort them later.
Oh, whipped over to the Land of the Free (Michigan) today. Whoa, bit of the old double checking there at the border. Yep, right on the job the old US customs. Liberal spouse won $100 US at the Bay Mills casino. This Loyalist Freeper won $2.50. Got off a small donation too, via US mail. Cheers
You are absolutely correct.
We gave away a bit when Powell played transcripts of cell phone calls. Rightly so, I might add.
Tip of the iceburg. In 12 years, our technology has advanced so much that people won't believe it, until the effects are seen.
We know who they are, where they are, what cars they drive, etc.
And freely give this info to our special forces. Times changed.
Quoth he to the western press, I heard it clearly, to the effect, he was a heart a simple farmer. "Come to my tent" he said. He invited all. Nothing against a man being sensible. No doubt the Colonel is a brave man in his own right. Just not stupid though.
We await with bated breath the heroics of the man, who tortured and executed helpless men. We will see.
Roughdobermann posted:
"I knew that that things were going terribly wrong when the camera crews were waiting for the SEALs at Mog. Of course, that was under GHW Bush's admin..."
I'm pretty sure we are talking about the fiasco at mog. Lights, camera, action, CNN, Seals filmed on the beach, no armor support when asked, no night vision goggles. They made a movie about it.
That was under Bill Clintoon.
I was the first to bring it up on this thread, referring to my Ranger bud who was there, and took two for the good guys. His knee, and his stomach.
And had to run (limp) back.
So don't go trying to shift it.
Well within our capabilities technology wise.
Wonder if our Pysch ops boys have been thinking as far out of the box as you have?
The same story, with the same report concerning UN involvement in Warda's asylum, appears in the Daily Telegraph.
With luck, perhaps one of us will get a chance to spit on Dan Rather...
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