Existing comment:
Operation Iraqi Freedom: The Plan:
While diplomacy continued to encourage Iraq compliance with UN resolutions, military preparations for a possible conflict began in 2002. The basic plan envisioned the use of concentric strikes against targets throughout Iraq. Through a combination of air and missile attacks, information operations, and a ground campaign, the US-led coalition intended to undermine Iraq's ability to resist and trigger the collapsed of Saddam Hussein's government. A thrust to Baghdad from Kuwait constituted the main effort. The city represented the center of Saddam Hussein's political authority, and its isolation and capture was considered critical to a successful campaign. Other objectives, however, included the destruction of scud missile launchers in western Iraq to prevent their use against Israel and coordination with Kurdish forces in northern Iraq. Continuous air attacks against military targets were to accompany these ground actions. Preparations for these operations anticipated determined resistance, particularly inside Baghdad, and Saddam Hussein's possible use of biological or chemical weapons. After hostilities ended, coalition forces planned to assist in Iraq's reconstruction and transition to a democratic state. |