- A leading advocate of launching military action to overthrow
Saddam Hussein has resigned from the White House after disagreeing with
Pentagon generals over policy on Iraq.
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- The departure of Gen Wayne Downing after just 10 months
as President Bush's anti-terrorism adviser is a blow to those arguing for
Saddam to be tackled sooner rather than later.
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- Gen Downing drew up "the Downing plan" for
confronting the Iraqi dictator. This involved using a combination of American
Special Forces, Iraqi opposition forces and air power to effect "regime
change" in the country.
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- Gen Tommy Franks, the United States military commander
in the Middle East and Afghanistan, backed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
has been sceptical that this would work and told Mr Bush that an invasion
by around 200,000 group troops would be required.
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- The White House insisted that policy differences were
not a factor in his resignation, but some administration sources said Gen
Downing, 62, had become tired with the bureaucratic wrangling over Iraq
and felt that Mr Bush's rhetoric on Saddam was not being backed up by the
necessary action.
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- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml
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