The Atlanta Journal and Constitution December 5, 2002
War game to test readiness in Gulf
By GEORGE EDMONSON
Washington --- A massive computer-generated war game based in the Persian Gulf will test the U.S. military's ability to communicate effectively from a temporary headquarters near the front lines.
No combat forces or live firing will be part of "Internal Look," as the operation set to begin next week is known. It will be run from a temporary command headquarters at a base in Qatar, a U.S. ally that has permitted American forces to be stationed there. "What this exercise is going to do is test and exercise our ability to communicate on the modern battlefield," said a military official who briefed reporters Wednesday.
Many of the details, such as the war plan scenarios, are classified. But many see the exercise as an important development if there is a war with Iraq.
Joshua Spero, a political science professor at Merrimack College in Massachusetts who was in civilian planning for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon, pointed to several elements including the presence of headquarters staffs, significant amounts of equipment in the region and the commander at the scene.
"This is very significant, and I think it is very clear how significant it is, no matter how much it's being downplayed," he said.
"Having the ability to practice it in the region underscores how serious we are no matter what happens with the inspections in Iraq," Spero said.
Qatar is among the countries U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is tentatively scheduled to visit next week when he tours the Horn of Africa and the Gulf region.
Officials said Internal Look is a "rolling exercise" that probably will begin Monday and last for seven or eight days.
It will involve about 1,000 troops from U.S. Central Command in Tampa. Gen. Tommy Franks, who heads Central Command, is scheduled to leave today for the region.
Several thousand additional troops throughout the world will also participate in Internal Look.
The exercise has been held before in 1990, 1996 and 2000, according to officials. But they said this is the first time it has been conducted overseas.
Putting the center of command and control operations near the action, officials said, should increase flexibility and reduce travel time.
The modular structures of the new headquarters were erected last month as the initial phase of the exercise.
The buildings house a vast array of communications and electronics equipment that will be a focus of Internal Look.
For example, Franks' regular video teleconferences with operations throughout the region are among the types of procedures that will be tested in Qatar, officials said.
* ON THE WEB: U.S. Central Command: www.centcom.mil/
GRAPHIC: Map: U.S. BASES IN QATAR Detail map of Qatar pinpoints the Al Udeid Air Base and Camp As Sayliyah; inset map shows area of detail in relation to Europe, Africa and Asia. Sources: CIA World Factbook, GlobalSecurity.org
© Copyright 2002 The Atlanta Journal and Constitution
