RIYADH, 25 February 2003 — Iraq probably lacks the ability to fire chemical or biological missiles beyond its borders and a war to disarm it could be over in days, a defense official who led Saudi forces in the 1991 Gulf War said yesterday.
Prince Khaled ibn Sultan, assistant minister of defense and aviation for military affairs, told Reuters in an interview that every effort should be made to avoid a war for the sake of the Iraqi people.
But he said that, if war erupted, Iraq was unlikely to pose a serious threat to its neighbors, adding that any conflict would be far shorter than the six-week, US-led Gulf War, which ended Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait in 1991.
“From my experience as a retired commander, I think Iraq could have chemical or biological (weapons) — as many other countries in the world do,” he said. “But I don’t believe they have the means to deliver them from one point to another more than 150 km (93 miles) away,” he said.
During the 1991 war, Iraq’s long-range Scud missiles, which had a range of 750-950 km (470-600 miles), rained down on its Arab neighbors and Israel but killed very few people.
There is widespread concern that, if there is another US-led war to disarm Iraq, President Saddam Hussein’s army will have no reservations about using chemical or biological weapons, if it has them.
“I don’t believe, even if they have Scuds right now, that they can take chemical or biological weapons — that’s my personal belief,” Prince Khaled said.
He did not comment on whether artillery shells, which could target invading ground troops, would be likely to have such payloads.
Prince Khaled, who wrote a book about the Gulf War, commanded Saudi forces during that conflict. He repeatedly emphasized that he was speaking now in his personal capacity as a retired commander.
He said he believed Iraqi soldiers would give up very quickly, not because they were poor fighters but because they did not believe in the war.
“I think we will see very little resistance. I think we will see a lot of people who want to see their own freedom,” he said.
“If the military do it right, I believe it would be a quick war — much less (than the last one). I believe we will see a lot of Iraqis who will not fight.”
Asked if a war might last days rather than weeks, Prince Khaled said: “It could be.”
Saudi Arabia has made clear it opposes an attack on Iraq, particularly one without UN backing. Prince Khaled said the Kingdom’s leaders were continually evaluating the situation.
“Based on UN resolutions, Saudi Arabia will do what is best for its national security and what is best for the area,” he said.
Prince Khaled said Saudi Arabia had reinforced its defenses and level of alertness in case of war.
The Kingdom would also be contributing about 70 percent of an 8,000-10,000 force, which GCC states plan to send to Kuwait to bolster its defenses against a possible Iraqi attack. “Their only mission is to be in Kuwait and to never leave Kuwaiti borders,” he said.
