U.S. Deploys More Forces to Gulf
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service - 12 Nov 98
WASHINGTON -- The United States is once again ready to take
military action if Saddam Hussein refuses to comply with U.N.
resolutions.
For the third time in 12 months, Hussein in late October defied
the international community by suspending all dealings with U.N.
weapons inspectors.
President Clinton responded by approving Persian Gulf deployment
orders for an air expeditionary force with 84 combat and 45
support aircraft; more Patriot missile units; a light infantry
battalion; and 3,000 more soldiers. The units have been on alert
for several months, Pentagon officials said, so the entire
deployment is expected to take only about two weeks.
About 23,500 U.S. soldiers, sailors and Marines and 170 U.S.
aircraft are currently in the Persian Gulf region. The 23 ships
of the USS Eisenhower carrier battle group and USS Essex
amphibious readiness group are also on station. The USS
Enterprise carrier battle group, scheduled to replace the
Eisenhower group, is on its way to the area.
Sending additional forces enhances the capabilities of the U.S.
forces already on duty in the region and provides more military
options should force become necessary, Pentagon officials noted.
"A failure to respond could embolden Hussein to act recklessly,
signaling to him that he can with impunity develop these weapons
of mass destruction or threaten his neighbors," Clinton said
during a Veterans Day speech here at Arlington National
Cemetery. Failure to act also "would permanently damage the
credibility of the U.N. Security Council to act as a force for
promoting international peace and security," he said.
"We continue to hope, indeed pray, that Saddam will comply, but
we must be prepared to act if he does not," Clinton said. "We
have gone the extra mile to obtain compliance by peaceful
means," he said, stressing diplomacy is always preferable to the
use of force.
Hussein has failed to comply with post-Gulf War U.N. Security
Council resolutions that require him to disclose and destroy his
chemical, biological and nuclear weapons capabilities. Despite
tough U.N. economic sanctions imposed to ensure compliance,
Hussein has repeatedly defied the international community by
denying U.N. weapons inspectors access to suspect weapons sites.
Over the past year, the president continued, Iraq has
intensified efforts to end the U.N. weapons inspections. Iraq
threw out American inspectors in fall 1995 and in January denied
U.N. inspectors unfettered access to all suspect weapons sites.
"Both times we built diplomatic pressure on Iraq, backed by
overwhelming force, and Baghdad reversed course," Clinton said.
Clinton called in the nation's security advisers and military
leaders Nov. 10 to discuss the Iraqi dictator's latest
violations. Following the private meeting, Defense Secretary
William S. Cohen said, "Time is running out on this; it can't go
on forever."
If Hussein continues thwarting U.N. inspectors, the United
States is determined to prevent the Iraqi leader from
reconstituting his weapons of mass destruction program. "We
certainly would consider the possibility of degrading his
capability of manufacturing these weapons of mass destruction or
the means of delivering them and posing a threat to the region,"
Cohen said.
He would not discuss military plans or the possibility of air
strikes. The secretary said, however, if military action is
ordered it would result in "significant degradation" of
Hussein's capacity.
A few days earlier, after returning from a trip to the Persian
Gulf and Europe, Cohen said he was confident the United States
will have the support it needs to take appropriate action to
uphold the U.N. Security Council resolutions.
"World sentiment now recognizes that [Hussein] appears intent on
not complying with the Security Council resolutions," he said.
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