The Hindu : Iraq's strategic strongholds targeted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 17, 2002

International

International

Iraq's strategic strongholds targeted

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA (BAHRAIN) Dec. 16. In frequently targeting key locations in Southern Iraq, U.S. and British fighter jets maybe attempting to weaken Iraqi defences in an area, which is of vital strategic importance to both sides.

Security analysts point out that in case the U.S. were to attack Iraq, specific areas in Northern and South Eastern Iraq would be of special interest. Specifically, in an effort to mount pressure on the Iraqi regime in Baghdad, control over Iraq's major oil producing areas would become necessary.

For instance, in Southern Iraq, the zone around the lake Hawr al-Hammar lake and marshlands in the vicinity could be of considerable importance. Control over such enclaves could help in the encirclement of the giant oil fields of Kozestan.

Similarly, other areas, which can come under military pressure in the early days of a possible campaign, would be the two oil cities of Kirkuk and Mosul in Northern Iraq.

These cites are in the vicinity of mountain strongholds of ethnic Kurds. There have been reports about the movement of Turkish forces in the Iraqi Kurdish areas already.

While control over the oil fields can become the basis for mounting enormous economic pressure on the Iraqi regime, analysts point out that it would be logical to assume that this would be supplemented by the narrowing of U.S. attention on key locations along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

The U.S. focus can become fixated to Halafiyah, northeast of Al Amarah, and Musallan further to the north. At Musallan, the Tigris River widens out before heading north after passing through the Iraqi capital.

Control over Musallan, therefore, can give U.S. forces a possible riverine access towards Baghdad. Another potential area that can be subjected to military pressure is An Nasiryah. This is the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

From here the Euphrates River heads west, passing through the Shia cities of Najaf and Karbala before heading in a direction, not far from Baghdad. According to analysts, it is not surprising that the bombings carried out by the U.S. and British planes that maintain the Northern and Southern no-fly zones have been close to these locations.

On Saturday, U.S. jets struck at air defence installations at Al Amarah near the Tigris-Euphrates confluence as well as at Al Kut and Qal'at Sukkar South East of Baghdad. Areas around Al Amarah were also targeted on December 10.

Besides the U.S. and British planes on Sunday attacked An Nasiryah. The Anglo-American aircraft have also repeatedly struck at locations in Al Basra, the Shat al Arab port city that is Iraq's only outlet to the Persian Gulf.

Aware of the repercussions of these air strikes to the possible conflict ahead, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Naji Sabri, has complained to the United Nations about the U.S. and British policing of a self-declared "no-fly'' zone in south Iraq and demanded an end to the flights.

The U.N. Security Council resolutions do not explicitly authorise maintenance of the northern and Southern no-fly zones.

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