- WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The
Bush administration is believed to be planning to launch a three-month
military campaign on Iraq during the summer.
-
- Western diplomats, intelligence officials as well as
congressional sources said the administration has relayed its intention
to launch an attack on the regime of President Saddam Hussein by August.
They said President George Bush has outlined plans for a staged offensive
that would first seek to assassinate Saddam and his key cohorts.
-
- The U.S. attack, the diplomats and sources said,
envisions
a lightning offensive against Baghdad and the capture of key Iraqi military
installations. They said the move would seek to kill Saddam or drive him
out of Baghdad to eliminate the prospect of bloody resistance in the Iraqi
capital.
-
- If this doesn't work, the diplomats and sources said,
the United States would launch stage two of the military campaign. This
would involve heavy air attacks on Iraqi military installations. Stage
three calls for a ground attack.
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- http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2002/april/04_03_1.html
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