http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=31523
Is Iraq about
to strike first?
Pentagon says Baghdad moving missiles into positions to hit Israel, U.S. troops
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 14, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
All the prolonged talk and debate at the United Nations may about to become a moot issue as the Pentagon observes Iraqi forces positioning for a potential pre-emptive strike against Israel, against U.S. forces and for possible sabotage of its oil wells – moves that could force the U.S. military's hand toward war.
The Defense Department is seeing movement of Iraqi troops and heavy artillery toward the south, possibly to take up positions in southern Iraq, where they could be able to shell U.S. troops dug in inside Kuwait, Fox News reported last night.
U.S. officials reportedly said they were seeing Iraqi surface-to-surface missiles moved into western Iraq within striking distance of Israel.
WorldNetDaily reported first in December and again in January that Iraqis have wired many key oil fields in the north and the south of the country with explosives for possible detonation should the coalition launch an attack. Should the sabotage of the oils wells begin, again the U.S. might be forced to respond immediately – despite the lack of closure in diplomatic efforts at the U.N.
Defense officials say all of these moves by Iraq could signal that Saddam Hussein is considering pre-emptive missile attacks on Israel, as well as attacks on U.S. forces stationed along his southern border, and his own people. Officials told Fox News any and all such eventualities are built into their main battle plan, meaning there are prescribed counter-measures in place should Saddam attack first.
The Defense Department is watching these developments very closely – the SCUD missiles in the west in particular – because the thought is that Saddam desperately wants to draw Israel into this fight.
The United States is moving about 10 Navy ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles from the eastern Mediterranean to the Red Sea, senior U.S. officials said yesterday. The move indicates weakening U.S. confidence that Turkey will grant overflight rights for U.S. planes and missiles.
From the Red Sea the cruisers, destroyers and submarines would be able to launch their Tomahawks – typically fired in the opening hours of a war – for flights over Saudi Arabia to targets in Iraq.
The ships are part of the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier battle groups, which have been operating in the eastern Mediterranean for weeks in anticipation of war against Iraq.
Tomahawks are satellite-guided missiles normally used in the opening stages of war to strike high-value, fixed targets such as government buildings in areas where the risk of civilian casualties is relatively high.
The Tomahawks are designed to evade radar by skimming the land or sea surface and were designed in the mid-1980s. Following the Gulf War, they became one of the U.S. weapons of choice to respond to Iraqi breaches of U.N. sanctions.
The issue of overflight rights for U.S. missiles and planes has been overshadowed by the Bush administration's struggle to win Turkey's approval to base 60,000 or more U.S. troops there to open a northern front against Iraq.
The Turkish parliament rejected the U.S. request for basing rights earlier this month, and Pentagon officials said yesterday it appeared increasingly unlikely that the Army would position its 4th Infantry Division in Turkey, as originally planned.
Is Iraq about
to strike first?
Pentagon says Baghdad moving missiles into positions to hit Israel, U.S. troops
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: March 14, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
All the prolonged talk and debate at the United Nations may about to become a moot issue as the Pentagon observes Iraqi forces positioning for a potential pre-emptive strike against Israel, against U.S. forces and for possible sabotage of its oil wells – moves that could force the U.S. military's hand toward war.
The Defense Department is seeing movement of Iraqi troops and heavy artillery toward the south, possibly to take up positions in southern Iraq, where they could be able to shell U.S. troops dug in inside Kuwait, Fox News reported last night.
U.S. officials reportedly said they were seeing Iraqi surface-to-surface missiles moved into western Iraq within striking distance of Israel.
WorldNetDaily reported first in December and again in January that Iraqis have wired many key oil fields in the north and the south of the country with explosives for possible detonation should the coalition launch an attack. Should the sabotage of the oils wells begin, again the U.S. might be forced to respond immediately – despite the lack of closure in diplomatic efforts at the U.N.
Defense officials say all of these moves by Iraq could signal that Saddam Hussein is considering pre-emptive missile attacks on Israel, as well as attacks on U.S. forces stationed along his southern border, and his own people. Officials told Fox News any and all such eventualities are built into their main battle plan, meaning there are prescribed counter-measures in place should Saddam attack first.
The Defense Department is watching these developments very closely – the SCUD missiles in the west in particular – because the thought is that Saddam desperately wants to draw Israel into this fight.
The United States is moving about 10 Navy ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles from the eastern Mediterranean to the Red Sea, senior U.S. officials said yesterday. The move indicates weakening U.S. confidence that Turkey will grant overflight rights for U.S. planes and missiles.
From the Red Sea the cruisers, destroyers and submarines would be able to launch their Tomahawks – typically fired in the opening hours of a war – for flights over Saudi Arabia to targets in Iraq.
The ships are part of the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier battle groups, which have been operating in the eastern Mediterranean for weeks in anticipation of war against Iraq.
Tomahawks are satellite-guided missiles normally used in the opening stages of war to strike high-value, fixed targets such as government buildings in areas where the risk of civilian casualties is relatively high.
The Tomahawks are designed to evade radar by skimming the land or sea surface and were designed in the mid-1980s. Following the Gulf War, they became one of the U.S. weapons of choice to respond to Iraqi breaches of U.N. sanctions.
The issue of overflight rights for U.S. missiles and planes has been overshadowed by the Bush administration's struggle to win Turkey's approval to base 60,000 or more U.S. troops there to open a northern front against Iraq.
The Turkish parliament rejected the U.S. request for basing rights earlier this month, and Pentagon officials said yesterday it appeared increasingly unlikely that the Army would position its 4th Infantry Division in Turkey, as originally planned.