Iraq: January 12, 2003

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Over the weekend, the US ordered another 62,000 combat troops to the Persian Gulf. This means that in 4-6 weeks, the US will have 150,000 troops in the Persian Gulf. This would be enough to march on Baghdad, and force Saddam's key followers to decide whether to fight, and die, for their boss, or switch sides. For nearly a year, an American psychological warfare campaign has been targeting the Iraqi leadership with reminders that, when the American troops enter Iraq, they only way Saddam's followers can save themselves is to go over to the Americans. 

Most of the troops headed for the Gulf are infantry and armor units, plus air force warplane crews and maintenance personnel. But there are a sizable number of intelligence units that will be needed to identify the precise location for the thousands of smart bombs expected to be used. Unlike the 1991 war, where only six percent of the bombs dropped were of the "smart" (guided) variety, this time over 90 percent will be. This will be the first "one target, one bomb" war in history. 

 

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