According To retired General Barry McCaffrey, on the Today Show, the war will most likely start in a 'couple of weeks', as soon as the political wrangling is over. From a military point of view, however, the assault elements are all there, and barring a MAJOR political development, the war is all but inevitable. The key to the war is enemy artillery, armed helicopters, and chemical weapons, with issues like weather and moonlight of only marginal significance. US capabilites since the last Persian Gulf war have changed dramatically with such factors as the digitization of naval air power, the Longbow Apache helicopter, and the digital fire control and multiple target engagement of the latest versions of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Abrams Tank. According to the General, the war should last about five weeks, Saddam Hussein will use chemical weapons, and the major fighting will be in Tikrit and Baghdad. In addition, the six Republican Guard divisions will be engaged in heavy combat, urban warfare will be serious but not a nightmare, and will not include house-to-house fighting but rather Hussein's forces holed up in palaces and government buildings. Retired General On Military Plans For Iraq War -- Video.
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