STAR- Columnist Murat Celik comments on a possible operation by the US against Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
‘Gen. Tommy Franks, the US commander for the Persian Gulf region, said that the US didn’t have any requests to Turkey concerning the Iraq issue. Gen. Joseph Ralston, who commands NATO’s forces in Europe, completed his contacts and left Ankara.’ These words belong to yesterday’s Anatolia news agency’s reports. These American leaders’ contacts at Chief of General Staff headquarters in Ankara topped yesterday’s news. Gen. Franks is the commander who will likely lead the ‘Big Broom’ operation in Iraq. In other words, he will be the top-ranking officer for US operation against Iraq. Franks and Ralston didn’t have any concrete requests for Ankara, because Washington itself hasn’t made a final decision yet. As Franks told those he spoke to during the meeting at the General staff, ‘We’re waiting for President Bush’s decision.’
Turkey has two important items on its agenda concerning Iraq. The first is the ‘Big Broom’ operation to be launched by the US in order to overthrow Saddam Hussein and establish a democratic Iraqi Republic. The second is developments in northern Iraq and the future of the de facto nascent state in the region. During the meetings with the US commanders, this second topic didn’t appear on the agenda. Only the first, that is, plans for a US operation against Iraq, were discussed in broad terms. Alternative plans were also brought up. As no political decision has yet been made, the US Army can do nothing but review possible scenarios and battle plans, just as the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have been doing. The operation plans will be given their final shape after Bush gives the order. Bush’s command to the US army will set off a ‘state of war.’ However, this situation won’t mean the actual start of a war. After the state of war begins, the launch of the first bullet, rocket or bomb will still be a long time in coming. Ankara’s impression is that Bush will give the order following US congressional elections in November. Considering the coming holy Muslim month of Ramadan, starting Nov. 6 and ending with December’s ‘Sugar Bayram’ holiday, speculation is running that the war won’t actually begin until early next year.
While the US has been preparing for an Iraqi operation, it has taken special measures to guard against the threat of nuclear and biological weapons. I’m talking about some half-a-million special suits to protect against the effects of bio-terrorist attacks. Hidden in this measure, which was put together due to the anthrax scare, is a detail that will affect the timetable of the operation. If these special outfits prepared by Americans were used today during an operation on Iraqi territory, the temperature inside the clothes would reach a boiling 60 degrees Celsius due to the region’s climate. In other words, carrying out an operation today in the region with those clothes would be impossible. Such clothes would be practically wearable only in December, January and February, when the Iraqi deserts will be cold enough to freeze a person. In other words, the US is faced not only with crucial factors such as swaying international opinion and its own elections, but also with a timetable dictated by technical equipment.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION