U.S. will shortly have 110,000 troops ready to attack Iraq

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Washington is still accelerating the drive toward war against Iraq.  Even if
Washington is dissuaded from invading Iraq by an increasingly challenging
world situation -- and there is little sign of that -- U.S. war planning
calls for a massive military presence in the Middle East as a permanent
factor whether or not the Iraqi regime is overturned. NATO forces are also
playing an increasing role in the occupation of Afghanistan, where
resistance to U.S. domination continues.
Fred Feldman

Australian Broadcasting Company
December 21, 2002

US builds military forces in Gulf (excerpt)


The day after the United States announced it considers
Iraq in breach of the United Nations resolution on
weapons of mass destruction, the US says it will send
an extra 50,000 troops to the Persian Gulf.

The deployment will increase the number of US military
personnel in the region to beyond 110,000.

Defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld will sign the
deployment order after Christmas.

The deployment will give President Bush the option of
going to war with Iraq by late next month or early
February.

Pentagon officials say the deployment is to reinforce
the American diplomatic efforts through the United
Nations to disarm iraq.

The United States says Iraq is already in material
breach of UN resolution 1441, which it believes gives
it the authority to attack Iraq.

However, the administration says it will wait while
inspectors continue their work.


England readies troops

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has told British
troops to prepare for a possible war with Iraq.

In a Christmas message, Mr Blair has apologised to the
armed forces for the uncertainty facing them but said
that was inevitable.

Mr Blair told the troops it is now up to Saddam
Hussein to avoid armed conflict.



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