Turkey wants 54 billion now--US only willing to cought up 44 billion. If this keeps up the Republicans are gonna find themselves having to opppose this war--lol!
US ready for war in three weeks
By Phillip Coorey in New York
February 22, 2003
THE US military is ready to wage war against Iraq in mid-March.
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made the declaration as the US and Britain prepared for one final assault at the UN to win international support through a second resolution.
To be tabled early Tuesday, the resolution will not contain an explicit deadline for Iraqi compliance but US and Britain will demand that the UN Security Council vote on the resolution by March 14 at the very latest, effectively establishing that as a deadline.
Mr Rumsfeld said yesterday the 222,000 American, British and Australian troops massed in the Gulf were "ample".
"We are at a point where, if the President makes that decision [to attack], the Department of Defence is prepared and has the capabilities and the strategy to do that," he said.
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His confidence came despite an unresolved stand-off with Turkey which is demanding $54 billion in US aid before allowing the Americans to open a second front against Iraq from its soil.
The Americans are only prepared to offer $44 billion and the White House threatened yesterday the troops would be deployed from elsewhere should the issue remain unresolved.
Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul is due to make a statement following further negotiations.
British and American diplomats are close to finalising the second resolution which will be tabled before the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
The resolution will declare Iraq "in further material breach" of Resolution 1441, which required it to immediately and unconditionally disarm.
UN sources told The Daily Telegraph a deadline would not be included. Instead, the US, Britain and Australia will demand the UN take no longer than three weeks to debate and vote on the resolution.
They will also demand Iraq co-operate by meeting key tests, including the destruction of its al Samoud missiles which can fly marginally farther than the allowable 150 km limit.
The US is hoping a negative report by chief weapons inspector Hans Blix at the end of next week will give them the nine Security Council votes needed.
They must also avoid a veto by anti-war permanent council members France, Russia and China.
Yesterday, Russia joined France in saying it saw no need for a second resolution and would continue to push for a beefed-up inspections process.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said the weapons inspectors were "being subjected to very strong pressure" to produce a report which would back a case for war.
He said Moscow had no objections to looking at a new resolution but did not rule out using its veto.
President Bush yesterday said it was the will of "the Almighty" that America liberate the oppressed people of Iraq.
"If military force becomes necessary to disarm Iraq, this nation, joined by others, will act decisively in a just cause and we will prevail," he said.
The Daily Telegraph
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