London: A US-led war against Iraq could start as soon as March 13, just hours after a
crucial UN Security Council vote on Baghdad, a media report said on March 3.
"The moment we know we have the nine (UN Security Council) votes needed (for a
military action against Iraq), we will go for it. The military won't hang around
after that," a top US intelligence source was quoted as saying by Britain's 'Sun'
newspaper.
"The timing is tactical," the unnamed intelligence source said.
A new Iraq resolution is expected to be put to vote in UN Security Council on March
12, following this Friday's report by UN Chief UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix on
Iraq.
The paper also reported that allied commander warned Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on
March 2 night that the war "will be soon, it will be swift and it will be
short".
It said Saddam's palaces and other known hiding places will be targeted, and ground
troops will go in as soon as possible after the "bomb blitz".
"One of the first casualties of the conflict - apart from Saddam - is likely to be
French President Jacques Chirac" who is against war on Iraq, the paper said.
It said US President George W Bush telephoned Chirac last week and told him that "we
will not forgive and we will not forget".
Both US and France are the permanent members of the 15-member UN Security Council.
The other three permanent members are Russia, China and Britain.
PTI
