U.S. orders another 60,000 to Persian Gulf (total 310,000)

cnn ^ | 3/3/03

[knak]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With the United States beefing up its military might around Iraq, another 60,000 troops -- including all 17,000 soldiers of the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division -- received orders to deploy to the Persian Gulf region, military officials said Monday.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Probably.

[L`enn]

The scenario I beleive that is more like (though in reality neither is likely at all) is that Iran is in the crosshairs also. Wishful thinking on my part. A fullscale "take out the trash" is warranted.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Good point.

[KickRightRudder]

I don't mean firepower. I'm talking about organized and prepared. I just appears that knowbody knows what the hell they're doing. If those oil fields are blown, oil prices go up, then the economy goes back into recession, the its so long Mr. President.

Why are we being jerked around by a nation that hasn't been significant since 1917. Put a plan together and get on with it!

[Brad’s Gramma]

With all due respect to your opinion, neither you nor I have been in on the meetings, right? What makes you think there ISN'T a plan? Just because we're not rushing into things, does that mean there's no plan?????

I have the feeling this group knows what they're doing.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Heavy armored division is a "follow-on"?????

Follow-on to where? There's nothing that will stop that force until you reach the Himalayas, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean or the Black Sea (depending on direction).

[RobbyS]

Officials also said the 1st Armored Division, a heavy-armor unit headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, is to deploy. That will add another 15,000 to 17,000 troops, plus tanks, vehicles and armor. Interesting. They may not go back except to prepare for withdrawal. In which case, within five years they would be gone.

[RobbyS]

Teheran? Damascus?

[LdSentinal]

I'm beginning to wonder if we have something much larger in mind than just Saddam.

You mean like the toppling of Syria? Once can only hope.

[KickRightRudder]

Why are we just calling people up now? Did NCA just decide we might have hostilities with the diaperheads? Why wasn't this done 4-5 weeks ago? It looks like the plan keeps changing. His father ran a first class operation, today it looks like our administration is winging this. It fills me with worry that something could go wrong.

I hope I'm overreacting, but I'm not filled with confidence when the plan keeps changing. It makes me think they might not have all the bases covered.

[CobaltBlue]

I think the show of force is meant to impress, not just Saddam, but anybody and everybody who feels like taking a risk on whether their hearts will keep beating if they mess with us.

I don't think we are planning on invading anybody but Iraq, but we aren't going to back down for anyone.

[lawdog]

We will need to secure the north to prevent the Turks from coming in and seizing the oil fields.Also we need "follow on" troops to occupy pending a new government.

[KickRightRudder]

I can't wait til this is over. Many people inthat part of the world are not rational.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Many.....not all.

We've got some looney toons here, too, don't we?

[KickRightRudder]

I was thinking of Saddam digging a trench around baghdad,filling it with oil,or something more toxic, and pulling a mass killing. Suicidal crazy, not San Francisco kook crazy.

[Robert_Paulson2]

this is mindless speculation on MY part but here goes:
when we move on Iraq does Iran rush in? I think it's very likely they will try. And if Iran tries to pull a fast one will the Turks come into play? I don't think they will sit still for it.
With the turks and iranians coming in, will the kurds sit lay down and die? Or will they mix it up with lots of tribal warfare and criss cross entanglements? I submit they will do the latter...

If the turks confront Iran, will Israel honor her alliance with turkey and fry the Iranians... and if Israel feels threatened by this turn of events, will they sit still for annihliation by the conflict... not likely... they will go SAMSON option... is my guess.

if Israel launches missiles, Turkey is active, Iran is eating nukes and Iraq is going into chemwars, does Syria use the biochems they bought from sadaam on Israel. Does India sit this out or do they step in to defend Israel per THEIR alliance? Does pakistan sit there on their hands whilst India launches attacks and planes and such over their airspace?

With all this going on, and oil being cutoff world wide for weeks, do russia and china sit there, or do they act in their own best interests and try to take action... and if they do.. does America sit on it's hands, face defeat and massive casualties... or do we play the ohio class or trident cards? what if china turns their attack dogs loose in N. Korea and on Taiwan and Japan simultaneiously? Would the USA NOT defend Japan? NOT friggin likely.

This could shape up to be a very UNCONTAINED conflict of literally biblical proportions... all set off by the fuses in and around that fertile crescent of the middle east.

With this kind of firepower being moved into several theaters... we are going to be hearing words like Armeggedon a LOT more frequently in the coming days.

I am beginning to wonder.. HOW can this NOT get out of hand? I am not worried at all... just trying to be reasonable... and pragmatic. Maybe this is why Saddam is so bold... he sees this as his opportunity to bring about the biggest season of confrontation ever known in the history of mankind... and he is turned on by that prospect...

If that is his goal.. I would expect him to do something very stupid today or tomorrow... like launch a few scuds on Israel or Kuwait, or SaudI Arabia...

There will very likely NOT be another resolution. Tonights order of another 60 thousand pairs of boots... is MASSIVE for just one little nation with a deprecated military command... This is apparengly "rearrange the arab street" time.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Heavy armored division is a "follow-on"?????

---

I am sorry scott... I have to agree with you...
this is like using dynamite,
to go fishing,
for goldfish,
in a fifty gallon aquarium,
in my neighbors living room.

something much bigger MUST be up.
has to be.
it is apparent to me.
it is very likely apparent to whomever else is in the crosshairs as well.

Even North Korea could be dealt with using what we have in place.
NOT worried, just feeling very very curious.

Bet putin aint sleeping so well after he hears this.
Peking better wake up and think about it too.

Somebody is going to get spanked... and it ain't just sadaam, methinks.

[knak]

There will very likely NOT be another resolution.

U.S., Britain set timetable on Iraq (pointless to continue UN past next week)

United States and Britain have agreed that it is pointless to continue a U.N. Security Council debate over Iraq beyond next week, but are unlikely to press for a vote on their new resolution authorizing war unless they are assured of the necessary nine-vote majority, U.S. and diplomatic officials said yesterday

[thepitts]

It's all part of a brilliant plan.