European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday january a 1991 the stars and stripes Paoo 3 crisis in the Gullage old tactics May decide Gulf War by Patrick j. Sloy Annever Day Washington despite All the talk about cruise missiles. Stealth fighters and tanks that see in the night the confrontation Between president George Bush and Saddam Hussein has been dominated by military tactics As ancient As Hannibal. A a key part of the strategy has been the construction of four defensive trenches a one along the coast of Kuwait and three others dominating me vanquished country a Interior desert. T hey arc manned by 300.000 iraqi soldiers backed by about 2.000 tanks 1,700 artillery pieces and More than 1,500 armoured troop carriers and anti tank vehicles. In Southern Iraq just behind the northernmost line in Kuwait there Are 210,000 troops with 2,000.More tanks 1,000 artillery pieces and 1,000 armoured carriers and other vehicles. And at least 90,000 elite Republican guards have been deployed in the Region West of Kuwait and near the Northern saudi Border. Barring a settlement of the crisis these defensive lines based on techniques developed in 216 . By 1 inn Nibal the carthaginian who invaded Italy could become the killing zones for men on both sides of the Battle. A a in a supposed to be smart enough to figure a Way around them a said army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf the . Commander of operation desert shield. In interviews with different reporters Schwarzkopf has indicated that . Forces would bypass iraqi lines As the germans did the earthworks of Andre Maginot when invading France during world War ii. But iraqi troops Are not mired in Static fortifications that can be easily outflanked. Interviews with military commanders in saudi Arabia Pentagon planners and . Government experts on the iraqi army painted a picture of Saddam a fortifications As a formidable obstacle to a Quick Resolution of the conflict. A every Day the iraqi troops and the combat engineers improve their lines or expand hem farther West a said an adviser to army Gen. Colin Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. A a they re bringing in mines and prefabricated pillboxes by truck and these . Experts believe most of the iraqi lines would withstand the pounding of almost 2,000 Allied warplanes in the Region. The narrow iraqi trenches Are reinforced with Concrete Walls and studded with Concrete pillboxes. They could protect Saddam a troops from All but direct hits by warplanes and artillery they say. Attacking tanks would have their bellies exposed As they mount 12-foot Hills built in front of 10-foot-deep tank traps. More than a third of these traps can now a formation of British ml09s stands ready in the saudi arabian desert thurs. V. A a a. Quota. A a waiting for action Day As the countdown in the Gulf area continues. The self propelled 1.55min a howitzers form a bristling Wall of Power As they play their waiting game. Be set ablaze with Oil piped from nearby Oil Fields. Minefields All along the lines Are designed to funnel attacking troops and Armor into killing zones where massed artillery mortars tanks buried up to their turrets hand held rockets and automatic weapons would be brought to Bear. A a they re Good with artillery a one . Expert said. A during the War with Iran they could bring 400 guns to Bear on one Kilometre of iraqi troops not under direct assault would leave their trenches to travel along More than 1,000 Miles of new roads to converge on attacking forces. A they can go on the offensive quickly a Powell told Congress recently. Paved roads run parallel to each defensive line the lines Are also connected North to South by another network of roads. . Experts say the iraqi Soldier will put up a Good fight behind the first massed artillery that american forces have faced since world War ii. A a that a the whole thing about Iraq a said Richard Helms a former Cia director who has been advising Bush on the showdown with Saddam. A a it a not a Bull a in a recent interview with Abc Schwarzkopf offered his own assessment of the iraqi Force. A a you be really got three layers of troops in there a Schwarzkopf said. A and i think you be got the worst troops up Lor . Experts said these troops about 14 Miles inside Kuwait a Border with saudi Arabia Are poorly equipped Border guards and popular forces units consisting of Young and old men pressed into military service. These Are the forces that routinely leave their lines to get food and water from saudi troops. Schwarzkopf met some of these iraqi troops during a visit to the Border. A i think you be got the second level of troops that Are better in depth. And i think you be got the Best troops All the Way Back to the rear a Schwarzkopf said. This was a reference to the Section of iraqis elite Republican guard which is just Over the Kuwait Border in Southern Iraq american experts believe the estimated 210,000-Man armoured Force will move to reinforce the. Defensive lines if they Are attacked either from a tie sea or by land Schwit Rekopf said the three tiered deployment was a trap. A they would like to see us take them on head on dissipate our Force As we go through each Belt and when considerably weakened the strongest Lorce would hit Quot the initial target of an american assault is Likely to be the Republican guards. A they will get hit with everything we be got a one army planner said. A the b-52s, the cruise missiles a you name to a .-expert who monitored tote eight year .Iraq-1 run War these elite iraqi troops Are the key to Saddam a defense of Kuwait. A they Are not 10 feet tall. If the russians Are 10 feet tall then these Guys Are 3vi feet tall. But they think we re 10 feet tall and if they Are still standing after we give them our Best shot then this could be a very costly a embargo from Page 1 a irrigated lands has helped supplement declining food supplies,.a number of people said though the manpower Pool for the agricultural sector Vas reduced Las month when the government rescinded Farmers exemption from military sen. Ice. \. A hundreds of thousands of egyptian. Farm labourers also have fled Iraq. A Middle Eastern envoy said the growing food problems had forced Iraq to tap strategic food reserves the government might have been trying to preserve for the Long run. Sweatshops and pastry shops big users of sugar were allowed to reopen during the Christmas holidays. A the food crisis has also brought a notable increase in Cross Border smuggling from iraqis neighbors particularly Iran and Jordan. One Diplomat said that in october a Check of the Highway Between Baghdad and the jordanian Border found the artery virtually free of traffic from Jordan. But a Check 10 Days ago of the same Highway found Many covered freight trucks with jordanian License plates streaming toward the iraqi capital. A this is a. New phenomenon a a senior asian envoy said. Western embassies said they had received fresh reports of significant truck traffic entering Iraq from ban at a number of Points along the 700-mile Frontier Between the two nations which ought a bitter eight year War. Foreign embassies embargoes elects say it is too Early to Tell whether the volume of government food distribution will continue to deteriorate at the current rate but most analysts Here agree that the food crisis will Only add to the political pressure on Saddam to seek some political Resolution to the Kuwait adventure. Outside the food sector lines have developed in the last 10 Days it government distribution Points for hot-., tied natural Gas which is used widely in iraqi Homes to fuel cooking stoves hot water Heaters and space healers. A the Price of the Loo Pound Metal canisters of Gas has remained stable but neighbourhood distribution trucks have disappeared in Many parts of the City forcing most families to drive to distribution centers where lines have formed for the first time. ,. Western officials said they have heard two explanations for the shortage which is not yet deemed serious. One explanation is that. With the sudden decline of crude Oil production,.the production of natural Gas As a byproduct has declined . Second government plants that process the Natu Iai Gas and will the cylinders for the retail Market used sophisticated .1 Inch made machinery that May be suffering Tor Lack of undo proper. Maintenance with tie departure of Trench and other foreign technicians. A
