| | LONDON Dec 21 (Reuters) - The United States and Britain are planning a massive seaborne invasion of Iraq from the Gulf as the first stage in any ground war, a British defense ministry source said on Saturday.
"Discussions on future amphibious operations are at an advanced stage," the source said, adding that Britain would commit its elite 3 Commando Brigade of Royal Marines to the proposed invasion.
In the 1991 Gulf War, U.S.-led forces assembled a large amphibious task force in the Gulf, but never mounted an assault by sea. Instead, infantry poured into parts of Iraq and Kuwait from Saudi Arabia by land.
The British defense ministry source said planners were this time leaning toward an amphibious assault in the case of a war with Iraq in part because of the difficulties of protecting a large ground-based army from chemical or biological attack.
"Would you really put 200,000 troops in one place and let them be targets for an attack?" the source said.
The amphibious option also reduces the diplomatic and political sensitivity of moving large land forces into countries in the region which have not yet publicly given consent for their territory to be used as a launch-pad for an invasion.
Other ground forces could deploy later, after amphibious forces had already opened up a front, the British source said. " Well friends, this is something of a night mare, we hope it not will happend,or is this the start of something bigg, perhaps some who belive we are living in the last days think it is, but the most on this site dont belvie this i think. In Sweden yestreday all bishops was sending a protest to swed goverment, and want them to try to putt some presure on US to stopp this madness as they say. Well it is exaiting times, and dangerus, take care out ther, show love and care to all humans in your naberhood. widh love to all of you out ther from HM. |
