WASHINGTON, 31 March 2003 — Military leaders in Washington warned yesterday that as US-led troops close in on Baghdad, they face a rising risk of chemical weapons attacks and fierce battles with Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guards.
“There are difficult days ahead. And to the extent the Republican Guard pose difficulties, which we expect them to, there will be dangerous days ahead,” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told Fox News.
“There’s no question but that, as we move forward closer and closer to Baghdad, that the likelihood that they would use weapons of mass destruction increases,” he said.
“Baghdad is not going to be easy. But the outcome is certain,” Rumsfeld said expressing confidence in eventual victory.
Iraq said yesterday thousands of Arab volunteers were ready to die in suicide attacks on invading US and British soldiers as the aerial blitz against Baghdad continued.
Rumsfeld said “death squads” already were terrorizing Iraqis who sided with the US-led forces, and conceded “there’s no question but that a terrorist that’s willing to die can kill other people.”
“Is it going to change the outcome? Not a chance.”
He made it clear he expected a major confrontation with Republican Guards once US-led troops move into Baghdad. “Clearly, they are the most effective fighting forces that Saddam Hussein has. And the coalition forces have been spending a good deal of time and effort working them over.”
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Air Force General Richard Myers, made similar comments. “I think the toughest part is ahead of us as we take on the Republic Guard around Baghdad,” he told NBC during its Face the Nation news program.
Rumsfeld conceded that US-led troops had met stiff resistance, but stressed the Iraqi leadership must have realized its days are counted. “Put yourself in the shoes of the Iraqi regime. What have they seen? They’ve seen one of the most powerful coalition forces within 49 miles of Baghdad, their capital,” Rumsfeld said.
“They’ve seen their port taken. They’ve seen their oil wells in the south secured. They have seen a bombing campaign against their command and control, degrading their command and control. They have seen an attack on their leadership, and we have not seen their leadership since,” he said.
He hailed the progress of British troops in the southern city of Basra, which he said “will end up secure in a reasonable period of time. And the British are doing an outstanding job. And I think it’s an indication of what will happen in other cities.”
Rumsfeld swept aside criticism of Washington’s war strategy yesterday, and Myers insisted military planners had always prepared for a potentially lengthy engagement in Iraq. “The plan is a good one ... it’s an outstanding plan and it’s going to work and we’re going to win,” Rumsfeld said.
He said the plan had run more smoothly than the military has been given credit for.
“There has not been a humanitarian crisis, there have not been refugees” as there were in the previous US-led Gulf War in 1991, he told reporters.
The defense secretary also had strong words of praise for Tommy Franks, the US general running the war in Iraq.
“He was able to avoid having Scuds (missiles) fired into neighboring countries ... that didn’t happen this time. There were massive refugees (in 1991), that didn’t happen this time. He’s doing a truly outstanding job.”
