U.S. pushes Iraq war build-up

U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has signed a deployment order to send "significant'' ground forces, combat aircraft and logistics support to the Arabian Gulf, a move that marks the beginning of a final buildup for a possible war against Iraq, senior defence officials said on Friday.

The classified order, a 20-plus-page document signed by Rumsfeld on Tuesday, identifies an array of forces and capabilities - such as mechanised infantry units, mid-air refuelers and medical facilities - that will be shipped and airlifted to Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and other Gulf nations in the coming weeks.

The document leaves it up to the individual military services to decide what specific units will fulfil Rumsfeld's force requirements.

"It's a little bit of everything, and its very comprehensive,'' said one official, who declined to specify how many individuals would be effected by the order. "It's heavy on the logistics side.''

In a radio address yesterday, U.S. President George W. Bush, looking ahead to 2003, said the United States would confront the danger of "catastrophic violence" posed by Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction.

Assessing the past year and outlining future challenges, Bush also vowed to turn an anaemic U.S. economic recovery into sustained growth and to prosecute the war on terror with "patience, focus and determination."

Bush called Iraqi President Saddam Hussain a danger to his neighbours and to world peace.

"The war on terror also requires us to confront the danger of catastrophic violence posed by Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction," Bush said. "If he refuses, then for the sake of peace, the United States will lead a coalition to disarm the Iraqi regime and free the Iraqi people."

"The burden now is on Iraq's dictator to disclose and destroy his arsenal of weapons," Bush said in the broadcast from the family ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he is spending the New Year's holiday.

Meanwhile in Baghdad, Iraq submitted to the United Nations a mandatory list of scientists linked to its arms programmes and containing more than 500 names, a UN spokesman said, confirming an Iraqi statement.

"The list contains over 500 names in the chemical, biological, nuclear and missile areas," spokesman Hiro Ueki said in a statement.

Shortly beforehand, an Iraqi official said: "Yes, we submitted today at around noon to the head of the UN office in Baghdad a list of Iraqi scientists to be passed on to Mr. Hans Blix," the chief UN arms inspector.

The UN had given Baghdad until the end of December to provide a complete list of scientists currently and formerly involved in its chemical, biological, nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and associated research, development and production facilities.

The announcement came as UN disarmament experts began their second month of work since returning to Baghdad to hunt for prohibited arms.

Four teams headed out, as one Iraqi scientist repeated that he was not involved with any nuclear programme but worked instead on production of multiple launchers for permitted short-range rockets.

Kadhem Mojbil, interviewed by inspectors on Friday, reiterated yesterday that he had no connection with a nuclear programme and had only been involved in "the cleaning of the tubes."

Iraqi officials said one team visited an industrial complex at Ibn Yunes, 10km to the south.

The information ministry said three other teams had also set off for work around Baghdad, taking in four sites.

@ Los Angeles Times-Washington Post

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