New York: The US military will be ready by mid-to-late February to quickly go to war
with Iraq if President George W Bush so decides, Pentagon officials were on January
28 quoted as saying, even as evidence showed Iraq was preparing for an urban
warfare, moving its missile launchers to civilian buildings around Baghdad.
Officials told CNN that if Iraq was to make an aggressive move before then, the
United States could respond instantly, but any action might be limited to strikes by
fighters, bombers and cruise missiles.
The February timeframe refers to the goal of being ready with a full invasion force
that could achieve the goals of disarmament and regime change, they said.
Meanwhile, US intelligence revealed photographic evidence gathered in recent days
that Iraqi forces have moved an increasing number of hand-held surface-to-air
missile launchers and anti-aircraft artillery pieces into key locations in and
around the capital, Baghdad, CNN reported.
The network said it was told that the imagery shows launch sites on civilian
buildings and other areas the United States would hesitate to strike.
This has been a key Iraqi tactic for years, but it has been stepped up in
anticipation of a US strike, it added.
PTI
