Posted on 09/21/2002 8:13:46 PM PDT by Pokey78
Scenarios Feature A Smaller Force, Narrower Strikes
As the Bush administration moves aggressively at the United Nations and in Congress to win support for a possible military strike against Iraq, a consensus has begun to emerge among Pentagon war planners that the United States should conduct a narrowly focused but extremely intense attack that will be radically different from the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Although the planning is far from complete and remains fluid, military officials and advisers say the broad outlines of an attack against the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein are starting to take shape. They include the targets for U.S. warplanes and missiles, the size and character of the U.S. ground force, and the potential endgame of a U.S. invasion.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
As it is, the enemy is likely to screen all the plans that have found their way into print. And logically conclude that the real plan is the one plan that hasn't been printed.
Accordingly, in this climate, the greatest security might be found in having none, at all...
But I am unhappy with this report ... a previous report spoke of an invasion from Kuwait that was such an obviously inferior plan I was happy to see it out as disinformation ... this, unfortunately sounds too GOOD of a plan.
My hope is that they are trying to signal to the military of Iraq with this leak "hey, we are not against you, it is saddam we are after" ... and hoping for some cooperation there (coup d'etat anyone???):
What is already clear, however, according to senior officers and others familiar with emerging "concept of operations," is that unlike the 1991 war, neither Iraq's infrastructure nor its military rank-and-file would be targeted. Instead, the U.S. military is thinking about how to execute a sharply focused attack on Hussein and the people and institutions that keep him in power.
Bush successfully isolated the Taliban, identifying them as the enemy rather than the people or state of Afghanistan.
He has been intent on doing the same in Iraq. Our target is quite obviously Saddam -- and only Saddam (along with those who willingly do his bidding). No other part of the Iraqi state or its institutions have been threatened; indeed, they have been encouraged.
The key to the mission will be to isolate Saddam from those in command of his WMD...
There was a report somewhere here yesterday that said Saddam had moved the Republican Guard out of Baghdad because he was afraid if we attacked, they would turn on him.
And another report today (unconfirmed) indicated that we have people on the ground (SOF teams) in the Western Desert. This in addition to Kurdistan, where we have been operating for over a month, according to the Turkish media.
Moreover, it is said that there is no evidence of fight in any of the Iraqi units which have been encountered.
Also known as a Lewinsky.
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