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Sources: Bush reviews Iraq military plan
From John King
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush received a highly detailed plan earlier this month for military operations against Iraq, two administration officials have confirmed to CNN. The plan was drawn up by Gen. Tommy Franks, the head of the U.S. Central Command, and sent to Bush through the Pentagon, the administration sources said. "It is a clear battle scenario and also has options for the president to consider," said a senior administration official familiar with the discussion. "I would say it is 'a' plan, not 'the' plan, in the sense that there are more conversations and refinements to be done. But it is a formal proposal." Bush has reviewed and voiced general satisfaction, but he has not decided anything "because he is not at the point where he has to." Bush continues to ask questions as the plan is refined, said one official. The officials would not disclose specifics but did tell CNN that early goals are to cut off Iraqi command and communications infrastructure and neutralize missile launchers as well as known and suspected sites where weapons of mass destruction are held. The sources tell CNN the plan relies heavily on "overwhelming, dominating air superiority," and also envisions a significant role for covert operations, especially in the realm of weapons of mass destruction. Administration officials would not disclose numbers of troops to be used. The officials told CNN the plans would rely on a "full array" of resources in the region, including in Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. One official said, "There is a reflection in the emphasis and options on the sensitivities" for some of those nations, adding that final polishing of the plan would in part be based on the politics of the moment as related to those nations. The officials said Franks' plan assumes even if military action is approved by the United Nations, the actual military work will be generated by U.S. and some British assets, and not much else from other allies.
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