Bush Summons Wartime Cabinet

President George W. Bush held a wartime cabinet meeting on the 5th for war with Iraq, and commander of central army Tommy Franks reported that the US is “ready to conquer Iraq and oust Saddam Hussein,” according to the Washing Times on March 6.

The newspaper reported that Commander Franks, who will be in charge of attacking Iraq, explained the status of strategic preparations to President Bush, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and CIA Director George Tenet was present at the meeting.

Commander Franks reported the strategic preparations based on two possible scenarios, depending on whether Turkey allows US military stationing or not, and made it clear right after the meeting at the national defense press conference that he`s “ready to carry out the operation as soon as the President issues an order.”

The newspaper also quoted an anonymous official, interpreting the quote as saying the briefing could possibly be the last before the war.

It also reported that while the stationing of the 4th Infantry division, armed with tanks and helicopters, is not allowed in Turkey, Commander Franks said that US could employ an airlift squad to break through the northern Iraqi battle line, in the case where Turkey assembly rejects stationing in the second voting.

Presently, 600 air-raiders and 250,000 military personnel are stationed around Iraq, and also 30 war ships and 5 aircraft carriers that can blast off hundreds of Tomahawke missiles the night before the war.

Meanwhile, Japan and Russia ordered the evacuation to compatriots in Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

Rae-Jeong Park ecopark@donga.com