war plans

Gordon Fitch gcf at panix.com
Tue Aug 6 09:05:10 PDT 2002



> WAR PLAN By NILES LATHEM
>
> WASHINGTON - These dramatic satellite photos show just how far U.S.
> preparations for war with Iraq have advanced.
>
> They are images of the state-of-the-art al Udeid air base in Qatar,
> which has been significantly upgraded over the last six months and is
> expected to be used as America's base for military operations against
> Saddam Hussein.
> ...

The reporter seems to be unfamiliar with military matters. A serious invasion of Iraq cannot be staged from a single airbase, however state-of-the-art, in Qatar. Unless the Pentagon has secret knowledge that a revolt is about to take place in Iraq, bombing and small commando raids cannot be expected to impress, much less displace, the present government there. An invasion must be staged from one or more of Iraq's neighbors, and the buildup for it would take several weeks. The airbase in Qatar is probably being expanded to account for the loss of facilities in Saudi Arabia, in which case it represents a sort of tactical retreat, a pulling-back of an imperial outpost to a more secure position.

-- Gordon



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