Last Updated: July 29, 2002 11:37 AM ET
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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States is
exploring the concept of taking Baghdad and one or two key command
centers and weapons depots first in the hope of prompting a quick
collapse of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government, The New York Times
reported on Monday.
The aim
would be to kill or isolate Saddam and preempt Iraq's use of weapons
of mass destruction, whether against an incoming force, front-line
allies or Israel.
The
Baghdad-first or "inside-out" approach would capitalize on the
American military's ability to strike over long distances,
maneuvering forces to envelop a large target, the Times said, citing
senior administration and Pentagon officials.
Advocates of the plan say it reflects the desire
to avoid committing a quarter-million American troops, yet hits hard
enough to succeed, the newspaper said.
Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the National
Security Council, declined comment on the report. "We don't discuss
military plans or operations," McCormack said.
The newspaper reported that the advantages and
risks of strikes aimed deep inside the country and radiating outward
are under discussion, though no formal plan has been presented to
President Bush or senior members of his national security
team.
Officials told the
newspaper it may be possible to paralyze the highly centralized and
authoritarian Iraqi command-and-control system. Mid-level officers
are not taught to improvise, should they be cut off from
commanders.
While other
options are being considered, the Baghdad plan could appeal to Gulf
allies of the United States who are nervous about a large-scale U.S.
military deployment, the unnamed officials told The Times.
Yet the 250,000-man figure could
still be accurate, the newspaper said, as it might take that many
troops to ensure that forces dropped into Baghdad are not isolated
or surrounded, bereft of support, food and ammunition.
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