(U.S. News) Kenneth T. Walsh - Hundreds of special-operations troops are training in Jordan as part of a scheduled exercise, and they could be called upon during the first hours of an attack to neutralize Iraq's Scud missile threat. The U.S. Army has tripled its presence to about 6,000 troops in Kuwait, and 2,000 Marines are currently conducting war games off the Kuwaiti coast. The U.S. Navy plans to have three aircraft carrier battle groups near Iraq by December. The military may move several Army divisions to the region, including the 101st Airborne, 3rd Infantry, and 1st Cavalry. Military leaders want a short window between the final buildup and the start of an attack, reducing the risk of an Iraqi pre-emptive strike.
2002-10-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive