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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Hunt who wrote (12003)	12/20/2001 10:31:05 AM
From: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck	Respond to of 27666

U.S. massing its troops near Iraq December 20, 2001 nationalpost.com

To: John Hunt who wrote (12003)	12/20/2001 5:14:13 PM
From: John Hunt	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27666

US build-up in the Middle East [ More than 20,000 American troops have been moved into Qatar and Kuwait amid repeated suggestions that Washington is preparing to move the war on terrorism into Iraq, defence sources said yesterday. The United States moved the headquarters of its 3rd Army to Qatar two weeks ago and defence analysts have reported large numbers of troops being moved into the region since. The 3rd Army is the ground component of the US Central Command, which oversees America's military operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan and was in charge of coalition forces during the Gulf war. The Pentagon has insisted that it is merely rotating troops but defence analysts say that about 24,000 troops have been moved in with barely a brigade, around 4,000, moving out. The Czech Republic inadvertently confirmed yesterday the military build-up in the region by suggesting that up to 400 troops it has committed to the US-led war on terrorism might be sent to Kuwait. Miroslav Titz, the deputy chairman of the Czech parliament's defence and security committee, said an anti-chemical warfare unit and a field hospital could be deployed at an American military base in the Gulf state. "A joint contingent is being considered," he said. "It might be deployed at a US base in Kuwait where it would have logistics support." Czech chemical defence units and a field hospital were based in Kuwait during the Gulf war. The deployment of so many troops may be designed to intimidate Saddam Hussein. American officials admitted that a State Department team, led by Ryan Crocker, the deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, was surreptitiously sent into northern Iraq recently to meet Kurdish leaders. The visit was intended to make Baghdad jittery and to encourage the Kurdish leaders to unite to provide opposition to Saddam. President Bush and his top advisers are said to have decided against launching an attack on Iraq and favour encouraging opposition forces to overthrow Saddam from within. Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, is devising a long-term plan aimed at forcing Iraq to readmit United Nations weapons inspectors and co-operate with a set of economic sanctions. Officials say if the Iraqi leader refuses they do not rule out using military force. ] portal.telegraph.co.uk