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| Axis of Evil |
| Sammy wants to try urban warfare this time... |
| 2002-08-08 |
| Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has told regional government officials that he aims to thwart any U.S. invasion by avoiding open desert fighting and massing his military in major cities where civilian and American casualties would be highest, current and former U.S. intelligence officials said. In meetings in recent weeks, the U.S. officials said, Saddam has outlined a strategy that appears to center on drawing U.S. forces into Baghdad and other urban settings where his equipment and troops would not be as exposed to warplanes and high-tech weaponry. What makes him think that? His planning appears to be driven partly by lessons from the Persian Gulf War — in which Iraqi tanks and other equipment were easily picked off in the open desert by U.S. aircraft — and by the significant erosion of Iraq's military capability since then. Y'mean they're no longer the Fourth Largest Army in the World™? Pentagon officials said it might not be necessary for U.S. troops to enter Baghdad and engage in street fighting. Rather, advances in precision-guided weapons could enable the United States to hit almost any important target by air. And if Saddam holes up in one of his many bunkers, they said, U.S. forces could choke off the city and wait him out. Good idea. He tried to refight WWI last time. This time we'll try a little siege warfare. Maybe the Greeks'll even sign on for this one... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |