Washington: The United States is preparing for war against Iraq in February with plans for a massive build-up of tens of thousands of troops in the Gulf region, if President Saddam Hussein does not "come clean" on weapons of mass destruction, senior administration officials have said.

The US plans to sharply escalate its military presence in the Persian Gulf at the beginning of 2003 in a build-up involving 50,000 combat troops, aircraft and armour, as also the activation of 250,000 reservists, senior administration officials told the media on December 19.

The Pentagon is building up forces in Turkey, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Diego Garcia, apart from Qatar, which will be the forward headquarters for the operation. Besides electronic snooping, anti-Saddam Iraqis whom US is training will serve as eyes and ears in Iraq during the operation.

The US hopes that the war will be surgical, short and swift without many American or Iraqi casualties, but it is also prepared for a bloody war like the 1991 war for which it will have 250,000 land forces and reservists, aircraft carriers, the most modern bombers and fighters and "smart weapons" in an array of forces with strength unmatched in world history.

Despite the countdown for war in February, according to 'The Washington Post', war is not certain. One widely discussed possibility is a coup that removes Saddam Hussein from office before the start of military action. Another is a "deathbed" conversion in which Hussein acknowledges that he does indeed have weapons of mass destruction, and agrees to give them up.

Many observers feel there is still wiggle room left for Iraq to avoid a war despite the seeming finality of the US ultimatum, the 'Post' said.

PTI