DOHA, 9 December 2002 — War may not have been declared, but the mobilization against Iraq is already well under way. Latest figures from US Central Command suggest that more than 55,000 American troops are already stationed in the Gulf region. Some 12,000 are in Kuwait — twice as many as there were just a few weeks ago. Others are stationed in Qatar ready for the computerized war games starting today, or offshore on one of the vessels making up the 5th Fleet’s fully primed aircraft-carrier battle group.
And alongside the men has come the hardware — tanks, armored fighting vehicles and artillery pieces. Mostly, these have been quietly transported into the Gulf by transport ship. Some of the lighter items, including satellite technology, pre-fabricated barracks and warehouses, have also been ferried in by cargo plane, along with the daily requirements for food, toiletries and other essentials.
According to the latest eyewitness reports, Kuwait in particular has been converted in a glorified United States armed camp. Some 1600 square miles — one quarter of the total surface area of the country — is now taken up by American military personnel and equipment.
And all this is but a foretaste of what will come if a general deployment order comes through from Washington. The spectacle of the world’s most powerful military force on the move is likely to be a breathtaking operation. The best estimates of US plans suggest that between 100,000 and 250,000 men will have to be brought in by ship or plane, along with their considerable arsenal of heavy equipment and weaponry. Already, the US army has begun piling tugboats and forklift trucks on to a giant cargo ship in Virginia in anticipation of the loading and unloading operations that might lie ahead. (The Independent)
