[A-List] UK sub-imperialism: Iraq preparations

["Keaney Michael" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

Orders point to new year assault
Navy cancels all scheduled leave indefinitely for its crews after
January 8

IAN BRUCE
The Herald, 12 September 2002

ALL Royal Navy crews on festive season leave are to be ordered to report
back to their warships by January 8 in a move which points to a new year
campaign to topple Saddam Hussein.

Naval sources say all scheduled leave after that date has been cancelled
"indefinitely", although a Ministry of Defence spokesman insisted
yesterday that "no definite instructions" had yet been issued to any
branch of the armed forces concerning possible action against Iraq.

"The government has said it will exhaust all diplomatic channels before
making a decision on the UK's military involvement. That's the current
state of play, although some people in the services may be preparing for
all contingencies," he said.

In a parallel development, officers attending the army's staff college
at Camberley in Surrey, where senior majors and lieutenant-colonels are
groomed and selected for high command, have been asked to compile
options for the invasion of Iraq "as an exercise".

The MoD said last night that a key part of the course for officers -
potentially destined to lead brigades, divisions and corps in the future
- hinged on their ability to draw up options for campaigns.

"If this is the case, it will merely be a current affairs-related
exercise in practical strategic and tactical planning. Contingency plans
are being drawn up all the time for intervention in various parts of the
world. It would be wrong to read too much into Iraq as a choice of
location for an academic exercise," a spokesman said.

A senior military source told The Herald: "Temperatures in the region
can be as high as 100F in the summer months between May and September.
They drop to about 60 degrees or lower from December until March, and
can drop below freezing at night.

"That's vital if troops have to fight in charcoal-lined nuclear,
biological and chemical protective 'Noddy' suits and respirators. With
Saddam's known and suspected arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, and
the probability that he would use them as a final resort, any British
contingent would be operating in NBC kit from the word go.

"In any degree of heat, the Noddy suit is a stiflingly sweaty place to
be. If it's really hot, men start to suffer from dehydration and
exhaustion very quickly."

An intelligence leak from the Israeli defence ministry two weeks ago
said the campaign would kick off by late November or early December.
Defence sources now say that political and public disquiet over the
legitimacy of a lightning campaign and demands for proof of Iraq's
forbidden arms stockpile, have forced the White House and Downing Street
to push back the timetable for war and seek some kind of UN mandate. If
Britain backs the US, its contingent could number 25,000 personnel.

The US military is to move parts of its central command headquarters
from Florida to the Gulf state of Qatar southeast of Iraq for a
three-week exercise, defence officials said yesterday.

The decision by general Tommy Franks, head of the command and
responsible for military operations in the region, came amid speculation
that the United States might invade Baghdad.

The officials said some senior officers from central command would go to
Qatar, probably to Al Udeid Air Base near Doha in October, for command
post exercise "Internal Look," which has been held biennially in the
Gulf region since 1990.