Russia: Bush to invade within three weeks

The Russian military believes President Bush will annnounce a decision to launch a war on Iraq within three weeks.

A source told the Interfax news agency that Washington will make a formal decision to conduct a military operation immediately after the US military and its allies create “battle groups” in the region, which will take two or three weeks.

The war in Iraq could start sometime during the last 10 days of February, said the source – a senior member of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

Judging by past experience, the source said, the United States will inform Russia on the eve of the military action, which will begin with a day or two of strikes from the air and sea followed by a ground invasion.

According to Interfax, the source said the United States has effectively halted efforts to destroy the infrastructure of the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan in order to concentrate forces in the Persian Gulf.

Some of the fiercest fighting in Afghanistan in nearly a year took place earlier this week.