[Peace-discuss] BBC

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

Desert Rat speaks out against war

 
Maj Gen Patrick Cordingley thinks a Gulf War will be a massacre

The man who led the Allied armoured forces into Iraq during the last Gulf War 
has criticised those planning renewed military action against Saddam Hussein. 
Major General Patrick Cordingley believes a second Gulf War would be 
pointless as it would only lead to tens of thousands of Iraqis being 
needlessly killed. 

As commander of the Desert Rats (the 7th Armoured Brigade) during the 1991 
conflict, he led the Allied armoured forces into Iraq. 

But despite such heavy involvement last time around, Maj Gen Cordingley has 
told BBC One's Panorama programme that he has strong reservations about a 
fresh conflict. 

In the Gulf War, the British and Americans lost less than three hundred men, 
while the Iraqis lost tens of thousands. 

Catastrophic



Inevitably the enemy will take a large number of casualties 
 
Maj Gen Patrick Cordingley  

Maj Gen Cordingley now fears that the Iraqi land forces - which have been 
weakened by sanctions - could suffer even heavier losses if the armed forces 
are sent in again. 

He said: "I think it is the fact that fire-power today is so massive, so 
overwhelming, so catastrophic when it's used that inevitably the enemy will 
take a large number of casualties." 

The retired officer also feels that some British soldiers will not feel the 
cause is just - especially if President Bush decides to attack without the 
explicit backing of the United Nations. 

He added: "It is a great shame if you get a situation where they're being 
used in a way that the British public are not easy with. 

World War III

 
Ex-CIA man Robert Baer thinks it will be WWIII
 

"I'm not going to dispute that and they will do their job and get on with it, 
but if I was a Commander out there, I would feel sad that we're being used in 
a way that did not have the support of the nation." 

Also opposed to another conflict in the Gulf is Robert Baer, a former CIA 
agent who was wrongly accused by the FBI of plotting to murder Saddam. 

In fact, he had been involved in a plot by Kurds and Iraqi dissidents to 
unseat the Iraqi dictator - encouraging an uprising which was brutally 
crushed by the Iraqi leader. 

But he is against another war in Iraq, believing it will create massive 
instability in the region. 

"What we're inviting is World War Three. In the Middle East. It's too late to 
invade Iraq a second time," he said. 

Revenge



A war against an Arab country is going to cause several governments in the 
Middle East to fall 
 
Robert Baer  

Mr Baer claims that his fears are echoed by his former paymasters in the 
intelligence business. 

He added: "I talk to people in the CIA. They're worried about the stability 
of the region." 

"A land war or a massive air war, against an Arab country is going to cause 
several governments in the Middle East to fall. Among them Saudi Arabia, 
Jordan, and possibly Egypt. 

"I think people in Washington are so hurt, so damaged by the attacks on 
September 11th, that they want to take revenge. And Saddam happens to be the 
vehicle." 

Panorama: the Case Against War, will be shown on BBC One on Sunday 8 December 
at 2215 GMT.