European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday november 30, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 3 crisis in the Gulf Iraq prepares for War of attrition experts warn . Could face heavy casualties by Patrick e. Tyler Washington not a the iraqi government has stepped up efforts to raise the Cost in casualties of any attack on its armed forces . Military and intelligence specialists said. The Broad outlines of Baghdad a preparations have emerged from information gathered by analysts who have studied iraqi military performance Over the last decade and monitored the around the clock satellite imagery radar surveillance and electronic data emanating from the persian Gulf. Iraq is determined to deter a United states led attack by Fielding a numerically Superior army whose total defeat can be accomplished Only through a punishing bloody and unpredictable conflict the specialists said. The recent announcement that Iraq is sending an additional 250,000 troops to join the 430,000 in Kuwait and Southern Iraq is a Clear signal of that intention they said. Indeed the most recent Pentagon estimates of casualties in a full scale conflict Over several weeks indicate that american forces could suffer several thousand dead and Many times More wounded according to Bush administration officials. A very few people Are predicting that Thev Are capable of defeating the United states a said a . Specialist on Iraq who has been advising defense Secretary Dick Cheney since the invasion of Kuwait on aug. 2. A the key question is How much Are they going to Hurt you and there Are a lot of us who believe they could Hurt us quite a  . Analysts said Iraq is preparing for a War in which it will try to Force United states and Allied ground troops to fight their Way through multiple defensive barriers before reaching nine to 10 divisions of combined army and elite Republican guard troops. These Mobile forces represent the Core of Saddam a military Power experts said. The iraqi Leader will probably seek to protect them from an opening round of bombardment while drawing . Ground forces deep into Kuwait and Southern Iraq for what could develop As a final climactic Battle they said. A major element of Saddam a plan fell into place this month when he installed a new armed forces chief of staff  and his military Iraq now has the sixth largest military Force in the world. Army. Air Force reserves Saddam hussein680.000 in Fiel includes at least 230.000 elite combat troops600 aircraft largest Arab air Power up to 1.5 million nearly 10% of iraqis population source new York times Hussein Rashid Kendawi who has been credited with reversing iraqis fortunes during the eight year War with Iran by combining flexible defences with innovative offensive attacks. The iraqis Are placing Strong emphasis on Static defensive barriers to protect their infantry and armoured divisions from massive air strikes that Allied forces Are expected to launch. They have established Forward depots Well stocked with ammunition to sustain them for weeks of fighting and they have disciplined their forces for minimal Reliance on radio communications which attackers would seek to Jam. Iraqis combat engineering battalions Are More than eight weeks into one of the most extensive military excavation projects undertaken in modern desert warfare. They have erected berms tank and artillery emplacements and dug antitank ditches along nearly 200 Miles of Border Between Kuwait Iraq and saudi Arabia. The defensive line which includes mine Fields and napalm traps now extends Westward beyond the hair Al Batin area in saudi Arabia which is the kingdoms main military base and staging area. The Extension of this modern Day Maginot line much like the one France built before world War ii to prevent a frontal German attack will make it More difficult for United states and Allied a amps graphic forces to sweep around iraqis Forward positions because of the deserts expanses and poor terrain. Iraqis front line forces Are backed up by a formidable rear guard of Mobile tank divisions. A the Republican guards Are very clearly the key to the Battle a said the Cheney adviser. A you have to go to them but first you have to break through the defences. Then you have to fight your Way through the intermediate Reserve before you even Are ready to take them on. A by then you Are a Long Way from your Supply bases and the layout itself is an element. A will this be enough to win no they done to think that either. But they sure As hell can make us pay and they Hope they can outlast us. And after they tear us up after we have 200,000 prisoners of War How much will we be willing to continue a Christine Moss Helms a scholar on Iraq said of Saddam a even though he May think he will lose the War he will try to leave a legacy for the Arab masses that he stood up to the american  to help leave such a legacy iraqi commanders could employ unconventional weapons. In the past they increasingly have used chemical warheads fuel air explosives and medium Range ballistic missiles to terrorize their enemies. Fuel air explosives spread a highly concussive Cloud of vapor when detonated. Like All plans however the iraqi Battle strategy May not survive Contact with the enemy. A the iraqis Are formidable in defense but we must also remember that their experience is against masses of fanatical Light infantry which had limited artillery or Armor support and almost no air support a the authors of an army War College study said in an unclassified summary referring to the War against Iran. Another potential problem is the morale of the front line forces along the Border with saudi Arabia. These troops half of whom Are poorly paid reservists who can expect to Bear the initial Brunt of . And Allied firepower Are reported to be growing dispirited. In the air iraqi forces Are seen As being vulnerable. With an air Force of about 600 modern aircraft Iraq is the largest Arab air Power. But it committed its aircraft sparingly and often ineffectively in combat during much of the iranian War. Iraqi pilots were notorious for dropping their bombs blindly from 20,000 feet Over iranian cities to avoid air defences. Still iraqis air commanders equipped with some of the latest soviet and French made fighters scored some spectacular successes. On one Mission in 1988, an iraqi formation flew the length of the persian Gulf to execute a Surprise Low level bombing raid that resulted in the largest one Day toll on iranian shipping during the War. The widely held View that the iraqi air Force will be taken off the Board in the opening hours of any conflict has been questioned by senior . Government analysts. A i done to think they will lose All of their air planes right away a a government analyst said. A they will hide in their armoured shelters and we will have to keep hitting the air bases All the  Allied forces will seek to exploit iraqi weaknesses american officials said by relying heavily on . Air Power night combat ability electronic warfare and Superior Battlefield intelligence to Surprise stun and then encircle iraqis army while avoiding its heavily defended  rogues went from school to Sand dunes Byke Clauson staff writer Eastern saudi Arabia a one of the newest desert rogues relaxed in the Drivers Hatch As a Light Breeze blew Sand across the front deck of his my tank. Pvt. 2 Herbert Squire 21, graduated from Basic training and Armor school on aug. 10. Three weeks later he was driving a tank in saudi Arabia less than 60 Miles from Kuwait. On wednesday his Crew fired live rounds for the first time since joining operation desert shield. A a it a not really that bad. I thought Field week was worse a Squire said referring to a Tough week of testing at the Armor school. A a they re not like Drill sergeants out  Squire is one of a half dozen desert rogue tankers who went straight from school to the Sand dunes stopping briefly at fort Stewart ga., to join the 1st in 64th Armor 24th inf div Mech. The battalion earned its nickname fighting in North Africa during world War ii. A a in a not worried about them a battalion commander it. Col. Randy Gordon said of his new troops. A they obviously want to belong and the spirit of the unit takes  every new Soldier is assigned a Mentor called a Battle buddy to pass along knowledge gained from experience and to help integrate the Soldier into the unit Gordon said. As tanks kicked up Clouds of dust while firing calibration rounds at plywood targets nearly 2,000 meters away on wednesday pfc. Scott Thompson watched with a contented smile. A this is the Best part about being a Tanker a the 19-year-old tank Driver said looking across the Barren ground. A this is what tanking is right Here. The 24th is trained for desert  Cpl. Christopher Conners 21, said gunnery was a a great change of  a pulling maintenance was getting Boring without having something to show for it a said the Tanker from Louisa by. Although gunnery May help break the boredom More experienced tankers like staff sgt. Samuel Wakefield 30, said it helps hone Crew timing. A a we be got a lot of new Guys a said Wakefield a tank commander from Anderson . A we have to get them in and oriented with their Crews because they have to work and tick just like a  part of that timing is identifying and firing at targets that could shoot Back a such As soviet made t-72 tanks. A i am not at All concerned about taking on a t-72 with an my a said commander Gordon adding that his soldiers have been trained to fight and win against a numerically Superior opposition. He does no to plan to fight individual Battles while outnumbered however. A a in la put a company on a platoon or a battalion on a company and Force him to figure out How to move his forces to Deal with that a he said. A this kind of terrain is Ideal for us because its hard to hide in and we can take advantage of the Speed and mobility of the mis and the  with the temperature near 80 degrees and Light Clouds cutting the harsh sunlight it was a relatively Cool Day and sgt. Phillip Usry 26, relaxed on the Turret of his tank. Usry a gunner from Augusta ga., waited patiently for his turn to fire As he watched from his Vantage Point eight feet above the desert floor. A this is More for calibration a he said. A a it a pretty Basic  As the Boom of my main guns drifted Back on the Breeze he said with a Broad smile and a Wink a a in a rather have some hard