Saddam may resort to chemical warfare

A decade after the “mother of all battles” that never came, Saddam Hussein’s regime says American soldiers who dare to invade will face “rivers of blood” and “disgraceful failure.”

Now that a new UN Security Council resolution to strip Iraq of illicit weapons is in place, the clock is ticking for a US led war that could make Saddam live up to – or eat – his words.

While Saddam still has a large army at his disposal, Arab military leaders who have seen that army in action believe he will be forced to fight with a more limited force – trying to draw US troops into urban warfare in Baghdad and hitting them with chemical or biological weapons wherever he can.

Saddam’s goal will be to inflict as many casualties as possible in an effort to break Washington’s will, experts say.

“With each coffin he sends back home, he will send thousands of protesters into Washington’s streets,” said retired Egyptian General Hossam Sweilem, a military analyst familiar with Iraq’s army.

For their part, US and allied forces will be trying to isolate Saddam and hasten a collapse of his government.

Pentagon planners are believed to be building a force of about 200,000-250,000 troops to take part in the war against Iraq. The assault would begin with a heavy air campaign – as did the 1990-91 Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan.

Next would come a quick seizure of bases in northern, western and southern Iraq from which US and allied forces could operate. A key early objective would be to cut off the Iraqi leadership in Baghdad.

In theory at least, Saddam’s army would outnumber US led forces.