The Hindu : U.S. plans to 'strike' Baghdad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 30, 2002

International

International

U.S. plans to 'strike' Baghdad

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington JULY 29. The Bush administration is said to be considering plans to strike Baghdad and one or two command centres in the hope of bringing about a collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime, The New York Times said.

The so-called inside-out approach will capitalise on the United States' strike ability over long distances and manoeuvring forces to envelop a target, the paper said, quoting unnamed senior administration and Pentagon officials.

The inside-out approach has apparently not yet been presented to the President, George W Bush, or senior members of his national security team. The focus of military planners is on minimising the deployment of American troops and pre-empting Iraq from using weapons of mass destruction. It is believed that it is possible to paralyse the highly centralised and authoritarian system in Iraq.

The Republican administration, starting with the President, has been sharply critical of the Saddam Hussein regime but has not been willing to discuss any of the plans for a military invasion of that country.

Mr. Bush maintains that no war plans have reached his desk. At the heart of the inside-out approach is the reluctance to commit large ground troops in any invasion of Iraq. One estimate is that as many as 250,000 troops will be needed for a variety of combat tasks, including support functions.

The Defence Department has made no official comment on the Times report; and the Pentagon says it will not comment on potential military plans for Iraq. But Iraq has been receiving increasing attention.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is due to hold a number of hearings on Iraq this week. "There is a divergence of views on how can one best diminish the prospect that he uses weapons of mass destruction with any efficacy," said the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joseph Biden, who insists that the administration has not yet briefed him on the latest thinking.

"That is where the argument for an inside-out operation gains credibility. There is a diminished possibility that he (Saddam Hussein) will use chemical or biological weapons," Mr. Biden has said in an interview.

Although there is wide support on Capitol Hill for measures to oust Mr. Hussein, several lawmakers — including top Republicans — have said that Mr. Bush must make a convincing case that there is a direct threat against America before it engages in any massive operation against Iraq.

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