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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (70646)	1/31/2003 2:45:48 PM
From: Rollcast...	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Iraq News, More Units to Deploy orbat.com The US Army is deploying five Army National Guard infantry battalions to the Gulf under HQ 18th Airborne Corps. This is in contrast to 1991, where the Army refused to send a roundout brigade to the theatre. Elements of the 45th Infantry Brigade have been ordered to the theatre, there is no indication if the brigade itself is going. These National Guard units might well become part of the occupation force. More units alerted The 1st Cavalry, 1st Armored, 10th Mountain, and 101st Air Cavalry Divisions have been alerted for movement. Including the I MEF, 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions already in the theatre or enroute, this is a bigger force than was earlier anticipated – assuming all these units are going to the Gulf. Elements of the 1st Infantry Division have also been alerted. We expect that in addition to one brigade of the 82nd Airborne already ordered to the Gulf, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment will also deploy. The US Marine Corps appears already to have four expeditionary brigades either in the theatre or enroute. A short war The US plans a 100 hour war, with 150 hours as a maximum. Iraq’s infrastructure will not, by and large, be targeted, nor will most of the army. The idea will be to decapitate the Iraqi command, by pass Iraqi units that offer no opposition, and to advance to Baghdad in the shortest possible time. As orbat.com has been saying for some time, there are no plans for any large-scale fighting inside Baghdad. Casualties, both allied and Iraqi [civilian and military] are to be minimized. US Admits Troops in Northern Iraq Though the presence of US troops in Northern Iraq has been an open secret for some months now, the US government admitted only yesterday that troops in small numbers are operating in the region. Debka.com in particular has been reporting the presence of US troops, and has published pictures of US Navy Construction Battalion 74 working on an airfield in Northern Iraq. Coast Guard, Seals deploy to Theatre Eight 110 foot cutters of the US Coast Guard are deploying to the Gulf, approximately 600 sailors. It is the Coast Guard’s first combat deployment since Vietnam. The cutters will provide port security. Seals are also deploying, including at least one team already training in Bahrain. These are not the famous Ramboesque SEALS [Sea, Air and Land], the US Navy’s commandos, but the sea lion variety, which will apparently be used for anti-UDT patrol. In a twist that perhaps only the Americans could come up with, the seals are supposed to slip a handcuff onto the arm or leg of an enemy combat diver. The diver will then be pulled up by the seal’s boat crew. Jordan Succumbs to US Pressure Jordan is the latest country to buckle under US pressure. Unlike Gulf I [from the Iraqi viewpoint that was Gulf II] where Jordan was neutral, special forces teams will operate from Jordan, as well as CSAR teams. US aircraft will overfly Jordan to and from Iraqi targets. In return, US Patriot missile batteries will help protect Jordan. Diplomatic Pressure on Iraq, France, and Germany Increases With eight NATO countries, Australia and Canada now lining up behind the United States, diplomatic pressure on Iraq is increasing, and France and Germany may have to decide soon on participating in some way or being sidelined in the reconstruction of post-war Iraq as well as suffering serious damage to their partnership with the US.