US, Britain Speed Up 'Down with Saddam' Pace

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, January 26, 2003

US, Britain Speed Up 'Down with Saddam' Pace

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Frequent War Warnings

On January 23, US President George W. Bush in the state of Missouri delivered a speech saying that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was a dangerous figure who possessed weapons of mass destruction, and that "it is time for the whole world to settle accounts with him". Bush also warned: Iraqi generals will be faced with serious consequences if they use weapons of mass destruction against US troops or civilians in the country. Bush indicated that it was no longer necessary for UN inspection of Iraqi weapons to be carried on and that the weapon inspectors were duped by Iraq.

A day before, Bush told the reporters in the White House: Saddam obviously had not yet disarmed himself, "we will lead the united forces to be formed by those who are willing to join the allied countries to disarm him. It is without doubt that Saddam will be disarmed. I'll tell you when this moment comes". Although Bush didn't indicate that starting war against Iraq was the only way for disarming, the strong impression he gave the people is that the possibility for the emergence of other results is diminishing. This is so far the most sternly worded war warning issued to Saddam by Bush in two consecutive days.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell seems to have spoken more clearly. When he was interviewed by a reporter on January 21, he mentioned the details about how the United States would manage Iraq and its oilfields once the former storms and occupy the latter. This not only shows America's determination to start war, but also demonstrates that the United States has begun considering postwar arrangements. US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitaze also hinted on the same day that war was almost unavoidable. He said: Our other choices have been basically successful so far. There is no time for the Saddam regime to reverse the situation formed in the past dozen years. At present, there is no sign showing that the Iraqi government abides by the provisions of the UN 1441 Resolution, just as what it had never abided by the 16 UN Security Council resolutions.

Forming a Situation of Encirclement

On January 20, the United States and Britain ordered in one day the dispatch of a contingent of over 60,000 troops to the Persian Gulf. US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld ordered 37,000 ground combat troops to go the Gulf region. This batch of troops, based mainly on the over 10,000-strong fourth infantry division from Fort Hood in Texas, plus the over 20,000 troops from another 10 bases of the US Army to form a contingent of 37,000-strong "Iron Horse Special Action Force" which is planned to be deployed within Turkey after convincing the Turkish government. The latest military deployment has boosted the combat troops to reach 140,000 since December last year when the US military ordered them to go to the Gulf region. The US armed forces assembled in the Gulf region are estimated to finally reach 250,000 people.

The battle groups of the "Constellation" and "Truman" aircraft carriers of the US military are cruising the water areas of the Persian Gulf and the east of the Mediterranean Sea respectively. The "Lincoln" and the "Roosevelt" aircraft carriers will also enter and be stationed in the Gulf area. The "Kitty Hawk" aircraft carrier has steered off Japan's Yokosuka and will arrive in the Gulf region within weeks. This will raise the number of US aircraft carriers to five in the region. Another three battle groups of aircraft carriers are also in a stand-by state round the clock, ready to set out for the Gulf at all time. Each battle group consists of one aircraft carrier and at least seven auxiliary war vessels as well as 75,000 combatants.

Britain last week sent the most prodigious fleet to the Persian Gulf since the 1982 Malvinas (Falklands) war. On January 20, British national defense secretary formally declared the dispatch of 26,000 more soldiers of the Ground Force and 4,000 logisticians to the Gulf region, the added troops sent by Britain include the "Rat of the Desert" of the 7th Armored Brigade" which had participated in the Gulf War and other crack forces, these troops are equivalent to one-fourth of all the forces of the British Army.

Seeking Victory with Unstained Swords

Hans Blix, chairman of the UN Monitor, Verification and Inspection Committee, and Muhammed el Baradei, director-general of IAEA, visited in succession Russia, France and Britain and conducted consultations with leaders of these countries on the Iraq issue. France and Russia are identical in their views, both holding that there is no reason to forbid UN weapon inspectors to continue carrying out their work. Thereafter, Blix and Baradei went to Iraq on visit and reached 10-point agreement after talks with Iraqi officials. Iraq promised to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations. Blix will submit to the UN Security Council a report on January 27 on the result of inspection conducted in Iraq over the past two months. He indicated in advance that more time would be needed to continue carrying out a thorough inspection. Both France and Germany openly support UN weapon inspectors in having more time.

Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan and Iran will hold a conference of foreign ministers from six Mid-east countries in Istanbul, the first large city of Turkey on January 23 to further discuss the various plans for the settlement of the Iraq issue. The conference will unanimously call upon Saddam to further cooperate with the United Nations on the question concerning inspection of weapons of mass destruction, so as to avoid giving the United States an excuse for launching war. The conference was helped to materialize by Turkish new Prime Minister Abdullah Gul two weeks ago during his visits to the above-mentioned five countries. Turkish Foreign Ministry refused to prove whether this conference would discuss questions concerning Saddam's step-down. But according to some Arab diplomatists, the six nations will possibly offer favorable conditions in return for Saddam's automatic abandonment of power or living in exile in a third country so as to avoid war.

Meanwhile, global anti-US and anti-war waves have risen one after another, while the voice against war raised by the general public of the United States is higher than that abroad due to poor economic performance of the United States. Under internal and external pressures, the Bush administration is also seeking ways to gain "victory without shedding a single drop of blood". On January 19, three major US cabinet officials-Defense Secretary Ronald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Rice, assistant to the President, for national security affairs, simultaneously accepted the interview by American media. The three persons expressed in different forms the same view: They will express their "gratification" with the method of allowing Saddam to live in exile abroad or to be toppled by internal high-level officials of Iraq.

A few days later, Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair will hold a meeting in Camp David, USA to discuss matters of vital importance concerning how to "topple Saddam". Analyses say that this meeting of world concern will possibly make US and British policies toward Iraq become more clearly.

By People's Daily Online

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