European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday november 25, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 3 Tough options confront Bush no fair Cut Tiff by Eric Schmitt new York times Washington a if president Bush decides to use the a offensive military options in the persian Gulf he will have a number of possibilities from which to choose. A number of these possibilities could be employed in rapid sequence bombing military and Industrial targets in Iraq attacking Baghdad a elite armoured forces by air and by ground and launching an amphibious Marine assault on the beaches of occupied Kuwait. It is doubtful that any single strategy would play out in isolation. More Likely is an intensification that builds on and borrows from a menu of military options. Which options Are used will depend on interlocking calculations about the military and political goals that Bush Hopes to achieve and the number of military and civilian casualties that could result. Does Bush want to Force iraqis troops to Retreat from Kuwait or is his goal to destroy the iraqi military and the Industrial installations that support it would an iraqi military defeat be enough or is the White houses aim to unseat iraqis president Saddam Hussein the use of Force would also hinge on the consequences for american and other hostages held by Baghdad the ramifications for sustaining the Broad coalition opposing Iraq and the Long term political Impact in. The Middle East of a major military conflict. In addition there is no Way to predict How Saddam would respond once military Force is unleashed. And the dynamics of combat inevitably Lead to unforeseen actions that Force major adjustments in whatever strategy is selected in Advance. What follows Are four possible ways a Battle could develop a the first Calls for american saudi and other Western air forces to seize air supremacy by knocking out iraqis air defences including French made and soviet made anti aircraft missiles As Well As destroying most of Baghdad a 600 warplanes before they could retaliate. With air defences in Kuwait and Iraq crippled Waves of american and Allied attack planes including full fighter it is from. Bases in Turkey and of a stealth fighters from saudi Arabia would attack such targets As runways control towers fuel and ammunition dumps and command centers. Planes would also attack iraqis network of factories that make chemical and biological weapons arid possibly nuclear weapons smashing Baghdad a future War making abilities. Iraq does not yet have nuclear weapons but experts believe they could develop an Arsenal in about 10 years. Other warplanes would target iraqis Long Range scud missile launchers checking iraqis ability to attack Israel. Comes into this it becomes very difficult to keep Egypt Syria and the i 5 on our Side a said Ron hat Nett a Forriter Middle East analyst for a a int ifs staff who is now Deputy director of the Mosher Institute for Vetense studies at Texas a amp a University. A Tri this option is not without potential problems. Saddam could begin executing american and other foreign hostages undermining support in the United states and other countries with captives. Bush Nas expressed sympathy for the hostages plight but has said their presence would not alter military planning. The iraqi president yielded with a bulk of his ground forces intact and withdrew from Kuwait the Issue of future possible Battle scenarios for Gulf t. Air War against Iraq Allied air forces attack iraqis air defences. Planes then attack military and Industrial facilities including chemical weapons factories. 2. Intensified bombing of Iraq 3. Invasion of Kuwait bombers strike additional Industrial Sites including hydroelectric dams. A-10 jets and Apache helicopters hit iraqi ground forces from rear. B-52s carpet bomb iraqi infantry. American tanks sweep West flank of iraqi forces. Marine amphibious forces land on kuwaiti beaches. Possible. Airstrike targe j airbases Lii Oil refineries a chemical nude ranch biological warfare facilities 4worstcase a a Sec ? was Iraq launches preemptive chemical strikes. . Technology fails to work effectively. . Forces invade Iraq. Aggression by Iraq would still be unresolved. A the second strategy would extend the air attack to include additional strikes against other important military and Industrial targets such As hydroelectric dams refineries electricity plants spare parts depots and radio and television towers. This strategy however would Likely take a much steeper toll on iraqi civilians. Casualty figures climbing into the thousands could erode the coalitions cohesion making sustained bombing a riskier tactic. On the Battlefield in Kuwait and Southern Iraq attack aircraft such As tank killing a-10 jets and Apache helicopters could be used to assault the 430,000 enemy ground troops there from the rear cutting off Supply lines. B-52 bombers heavily used in Vietnam could be called in from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to carpet bomb iraqi infantry. This approach counts on intense bombing to undermine morale among iraqi troops and put More pressure on traditional members of the iraqi military command in Baghdad to oust Saddam. A with air strikes and control of the air Over both Iraq and the occupying iraqi army in Kuwait a said Richard Perle former assistant Secretary of defense in the Reagan administration a we can isolate that occupying Force and we can virtually at our own Pace inflict a War of attrition on Iraq knowing they cannot replenish the supplies they  advocates of Aerial bombardment said a sustained bombing Campaign should be Given time to achieve political and military goals without sending ground troops in quickly. A if it takes 30 Days or 45 Days or 60 Days and we can save thousands of american lives by taking More time then lets done to push our military so hard that they feel they have to get it Over within two or three Days a said sen. Sam Nunn a a. A getting bogged Down in a ground War there is the last thing we want and plays right into Saddam Hussein a hands a he said. Critics of the first and second approaches Point to the Large scale bombing raids on North Vietnam and on Japan and Germany in world War ii to show the failure of air Power alone to wring surrender from an enemy. Gen. Colin Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the commander of american forces in the persian Gulf Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf Are both army generals whose thinking has been coloured by the painful lessons of the Vietnam War and of american involvement in Lebanon. A we have vastly Superior firepower and technology a Schwarzkopf said recently. A and if we have to go to War i am going to use every single thing that is available to me to bring As much destruction to the iraqi forces As rapidly As i possibly can in the Hopes of winning Victory As quickly As  a the third plan would involve a Short All out War. Proponents argue that such a War could Cost thousands of military casualties but would ultimately save lives lost in a prolonged air or Trench War and could actually Lessen the risk of the International coalition unravelling. American tank columns could try to sweep around the Western flank of the iraqi forces or push through gaps in the front line infantry positions in Kuwait. The main foes would be iraqis elite armoured units the Republican guard who Are deployed in Reserve in the rear of Kuwait and Southern Iraq. Iraq has about 1,000 top line Battle tanks about half of what american and other coalition forces will have by january. The iraqi tanks spread out in defensive positions would be forced to line up to engage the advancing Allied tanks making them a Vulner Able target to air attack. A Marine amphibious Force of about 11,000 troops could threaten iraqi forces in Kuwait and hold them in place or launch a beachhead assault. A ground War poses potential political a amps Susan Harris and Wes Booher problems. Presumably Allied Arab ground forces in saudi Arabia would take part in any ground offensive or at least act As a holding Force against an iraqi Advance pitting Arab against Arab in a conflict that could cause political difficulties for the egyptian and syrian governments. If iraqi forces fight better than military experts expect a Short War could drag on for weeks producing tens of thousands of casualties and pulling american forces into the kind of grinding ground combat the iraqi army used to its advantage in its eight year War with Iran. A the worst Case scenario assumes the plans go awry. Saddam could launch a preemptive chemical strike against american forces saudi cities or Israel and momentarily seize the timetable for Battle. Much of the american and Allied technology untried in Battle could fail to work effectively. Iraqi terrorist attacks could undermine troop morale and Public opinion in the United states could turn against the War. A Short decisive War could fail to materialize and a drawn out conflict could ensue with american and Allied casualties ranging beyond 20,000 and Iraq suffering three to four times that amount. If pushed out of Kuwait iraqi troops could continue to launch spasmodic attacks forcing mainly american ground troops to push North into Iraq. In that Case the american led coalitions Superior intelligence capabilities night fighting ability and air superiority might eventually prove decisive destroying the iraqi military but also devastating much of the country. The destruction of Iraq could require an occupation army and a rebuilding of the government. It is not a scenario that senior military commanders or administration officials relish. Such an approach could also leave a dangerous Power vacuum in the Middle East and create Long term instability in the Region. Syria and Iran would Likely vie for Power perhaps engulfing the Region in another War