Shaffer
10-28-02, 10:10 AM
In Washington and around the world, the debate rages over what the United States should do about Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein. It's a safe bet that in the bunkers of Baghdad, Saddam is brainstorming about what he can do to us.
True, the might of the U.S. military is overwhelming. But Iraq is not a rock. It will not sit there passively while the U.S. chisels it into a more appealing shape. Analysts can count the troops and tanks, gauge the accuracy of smart bombs, map the bases, and estimate how fast an army can advance over the Mesopotamian terrain. But some critical questions cannot be answered ahead of time: Would Iraq unleash poison gas and other weapons of mass destruction against American invaders? How effective would those weapons be? How hard would it be for U.S. forces to seize Iraqi cities? And above all, which of Saddam's several security forces would actually stand and fight?
http://207.27.3.29/dailyfed/1002/102502nj2.htm
True, the might of the U.S. military is overwhelming. But Iraq is not a rock. It will not sit there passively while the U.S. chisels it into a more appealing shape. Analysts can count the troops and tanks, gauge the accuracy of smart bombs, map the bases, and estimate how fast an army can advance over the Mesopotamian terrain. But some critical questions cannot be answered ahead of time: Would Iraq unleash poison gas and other weapons of mass destruction against American invaders? How effective would those weapons be? How hard would it be for U.S. forces to seize Iraqi cities? And above all, which of Saddam's several security forces would actually stand and fight?
http://207.27.3.29/dailyfed/1002/102502nj2.htm