Article

2002-12-09 Axis of Evil

Buildup Leaves U.S. Nearly Set To Start Attack

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Posted by Steve 2002-12-09 11:01 am|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Steven Den Beste at USS Clueless was fretting the other day about how he was afraid the delay in releasing the Iraqi document meant that the US effort had been thrown off track. As it turns out, though, he read the reports wrong; the permanent members of the UNSC - including the United States - are getting the full report right away. The report is actually being redacted before public release in order to avoid the release of sensitive information on WMD's to rogue states and terrorists. As it is, anyway, we already know that the Iraqi report has a key deficiency in that it presents no evidence to back up Baghdad's claims that it's destroyed its existing stocks of WMD's since 1998.

Judging from the above, we probably won't be really ready to move until at least after Christmas, since the incoming carriers need time to work up for operations in the area and, as with the upcoming Qatar exercise, the command element needs to do the military equivalent of stretching exercises before it can get to work. It sounds like the Army is just about ready to complete the deployment of at least one heavy division on the Kuwaiti front, though I'm not sure exactly whether this will be an existing division or an ad hoc formation.

Posted by Joe 2002-12-09 17:39:24|| 2002-12-09 17:39:24|| Front Page Top

#2 I've been thinking dark of the moon in January, just like last time, for a while now. This may sound callous, but besides the logistics problem, no way would Bush start a war during the Christmas shopping season in an economy this nervous.

The question is, the early January new moon, or the late January new moon?

Posted by Meryl Yourish 2002-12-09 18:44:20|| [www.yourish.com/] 2002-12-09 18:44:20|| Front Page Top

#3 According to the USNO, the first new moon is on Jan 2, the next is Feb 1. 2 Jan 2003 seems a little soon, still need the callup of reserves to cover the U.S. homeland and the Brits have not started shipping armor to the gulf yet. My guess is 1 Feb thereabouts. Of course, that may be what they want us to think.

Posted by Steve 2002-12-09 19:26:29|| 2002-12-09 19:26:29|| Front Page Top

#4 In addition to all the preparations noted above, we need to get a heavy task force to jump off points in Turkey. That needs a logistics train. The Brits have to get mobilized, and it'd be nice to get a few Iraqi scientists out of there to get the latest poop on WMD. February looks about right.

Posted by Steve White 2002-12-09 22:03:10|| 2002-12-09 22:03:10|| Front Page Top

#5 After the Gulf War, the Iraqis admitted to using converted school buses to transport Scuds. That admission must alter the current rules of engagement. The Saddamites are solely to blame if civilians become collateral victims.

Posted by Anonymous 2002-12-09 22:05:37|| 2002-12-09 22:05:37|| Front Page Top

#6 Joe, actually he was right. Blix and Kofi were not going to give anyone un-edited materials, the US bitched, and five members are going to get the whole thing.

Not that we should not trust Blix to look at places and things not in the Iraqi documentation... Not after his "good manners" in telling them where inspections were going to be held a day or more in advance... Perish the thought!

Posted by John Anderson 2002-12-10 03:12:52|| 2002-12-10 03:12:52|| Front Page Top

08:43 Chuck
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