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Pentagon Abandons Turkey Deployment Plan
After weeks of waiting off Turkey's coast, dozens of U.S. ships carrying weaponry for the Army's 4th Infantry Division have been redirected to the Persian Gulf. The decision ends U.S. hopes of using Turkish bases to move heavy armored forces into northern Iraq. About 40 ships carrying the division's weaponry and equipment were to begin moving through the Suez Canal on Sunday. The 4th Infantry's soldiers, who remained at Fort Hood, Texas, after their weaponry and equipment went to the Mediterranean last month, are likely to go to Kuwait, the officials said. It also was possible that they could enter Iraq directly through the Gulf port of Umm Qasr, now under the control of British and U.S. Marines. The original plan had the entire division of about 17,500 soldiers heading to Turkey, along with some Army troops based in Germany. The redirected cargo ships are to begin arriving off the coast of Kuwait about March 30, one official said. All the ships would arrive by about April 10. From Kuwait they could move into Iraq to serve as reinforcements if the ground war lasts more than several weeks, or as occupation forces after the Iraqi government's collapse.I'll bet the 4ID guys are seriously cheezed — and the Bush guys are probably dwelling on the fact that "Turk" is a 4-letter word... Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-03-22 |
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