If there is an attack on Iraq, the duration of bombing will be shorter than in 1991 - 2002-11-10

A published report indicates that President Bush has a plan for an attack on Iraq if he concludes that military action against Iraq is deemed necessary. The New York Times, citing senior officials in the Bush administration, reported that the attack on Iraq would begin with airstrikes and that the duration would be shorter than the 43 days of bombing that occurred at the start of the Gulf War in 1991. According to the newspaper, areas in Iraq would then be quickly occupied to serve as bases for the subsequent advancement of U.S. forces. The New York Times further reports that during this operation, between 200,000 to 250,000 U.S. troops would attack Iraq from air, land, and sea. However, the New York Times also noted that a senior Pentagon official stated that no orders for troop deployment had yet been issued. The New York Times also reported that Mr. Bush had agreed to this plan a week prior to the recent Security Council resolution passed on Friday, which called on Iraq to disarm its weapons of mass destruction. Victoria Clarke, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, told reporters on Friday that U.S. forces are prepared to act immediately upon President Bush's order.