Rumsfeld to meet with commanders
Reviewing budget, program and possible action against Iraq
From Barbara Starr
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled to meet Wednesday with the combatant commanders who run military operations in geographic areas of the world, including Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of the U.S. Central Command, according to a U.S. military official.
The meetings also are expected to include Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Sources tell CNN that the meeting, placed on the schedule about six weeks ago, is expected to focus on budget and program decisions, but will also include an update on plans for possible military action against Iraq.
One source told CNN that, in some cases, the United States is stepping up the tempo of operations in the southern no-fly zone over Iraq. The most recent example was the use earlier this month of a specialized, earth-penetrating version of the 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). (Full story)
That bomb, seldom used, was dropped by Navy F/A-18Es earlier this month to attack a command and control communications facility near Tallil, about 160 miles southeast of Baghdad. The facility was about 10 feet underground.
Pentagon sources said the military has additional plans to more aggressively respond to Iraqi provocations in the U.N.-mandated no-fly zones. But so far there is no indication that the U.S. military is likely to be ordered into a major campaign against Iraq for at least several weeks, unless there is a major action by Iraq, he said.
Because the essential outlines of a plan have been approved, separate deployment call-ups for troops and units may not be needed, and action could instead begin with a general "execute" order.
