GULF WAR II STRATEGIES PREVIEWED
In case you missed it before, here are the American and Iraqi battle plans, according to the New York Times:
U.S.: "Pentagon's war plan for Iraq entail(s) shocking the Iraqi leadership into submission quickly (by) unleashing 3,000 precision-guided bombs and missiles in the first 48 hours of a short air campaign, to be followed quickly by ground operations."
IRAQ: Saddam "does not plan to mount a determined defense of his borders... He plans to make his stand in Baghdad, playing the starring role in a drama intended to portray his government as a victim holding out against the advancing Americans."
Will the American bombing really bring Iraq to its knees? In Vietnam and in World War II, such attacks tended to strengthen the determination of the assaulted, not weaken it. In Afghanistan, argues Army War College professor Stephen Biddle, the Taliban quickly found ways to avoid the American precision munitions.
Can a "Fortress Baghdad" effort hope to succeed? It's a strategy that's long fallen out of favor.
