[marktuoni]

How public a call do you think will be made for the UN inspectors to leave?

Can we start without asking them to leave?

Doesn't that eliminate the element of surprise?

What about the new reports of Iraq's first strike against our troops in Kuwait?

Wouldn't our calling on inspectors to leave signal Iraq to start?

Man, I'm loaded with freepin' questions this morning!

[GraniteStateConservative]

No, we'll give them notice to get out of dodge.

It limits the surprise some, but frankly, there's not much Iraq can do, but brace itself. We won't go in immediately after the announcement for everyone to leave.

If Iraq strikes us, everything is go.

We'd prefer for Huusein to try to start this.

[xzins]

How public a call do you think will be made for the UN inspectors to leave?Ari Fleischer was asked exactly this question last week. He said the US WOULD give a call for inspectors and journalists to leave. I think I remember something about 72 hours. I don't recall if that was from him or the journalist.

Can we start without asking them to leave? I don't think so because they just might be at areas we want to take out with the initial cruise missile surprise. After all, as ineffective as they've been, they have found a few sites that we would've wanted to bomb.

Doesn't that eliminate the element of surprise?Yes. In my opinion.

What about the new reports of Iraq's first strike against our troops in Kuwait? The US option is to have a pre-war that takes out any iraqi units capable of effective attack against our troops.

Wouldn't our calling on inspectors to leave signal Iraq to start?It could. If Iraq attacks us, then we no longer have ANY issues to worry about with the security council OR the just war theory. Diplomatically, it wouldn't be the worst thing.

Good questions. What do you think of the responses?

[tbpiper]

My guess is that the artillery in soutern iraq and the scuds in western iraq will get vaporized at the start.