{"article":{"id":31524,"heading":"The invasion of Iraq has already begun ...","author":"Duane J. Roberts","created":"2003-02-26 23:03:29","modified":"2003-02-26 23:03:29","last_modified":"Thu, 27 Feb 2003 06:03:29","article":"<br>  <br> The American press is reporting that U.S. warplanes <br>  <br> have launched major strikes against several missile <br>  <br> sites in various parts of Iraq. <br><br> But what hasn't been mentioned so far is that <br>  <br> virtually all of them were directed at military <br>  <br> targets in and around major Iraqi oil fields. <br><br> These \"pre-emptive strikes\" are done to eliminate any <br>  <br> threats to air support that would be needed to protect <br>  <br> troops on the ground. <br><br> This first step in invading Iraq and seizing control <br>  <br> of its oil fields is to destroy all military targets <br>  <br> that protect them. <br><br> Despite the charade going on between the imperialist <br>  <br> powers at the United Nations, the invasion of Iraq has <br>  <br> already begun. <br><br> Sincerely, <br><br> Duane J. Roberts <br>  <br> <a href=\"mailto:duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com\" rel=\"nofollow\">duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com<\/a> <br><br>  <br><br> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hinduonnet.com\/thehindu\/stories\/2003022602431400.htm\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.hinduonnet.com\/thehindu\/stories\/2003022602431400.htm<\/a> <br><br> Wednesday, Feb 26, 2003  <br><br> The Hindu  <br><br> U.S. preparing ground to secure oil fields?  <br><br> By Atul Aneja  <br><br> MANAMA FEB.25. The U.S. fighter jets today raided <br>  <br> three Iraqi ground to air missile sites near the oil <br>  <br> city of Mosul ahead of a Parliamentary vote that will <br>  <br> make Turkey key staging post for a U.S.-led attack <br>  <br> through northern Iraq.  <br><br> The air raids launched from Turkish bases are being <br>  <br> interpreted as part of preparations to demolish Iraqi <br>  <br> defences before the U.S.- led coalition launches a <br>  <br> full scale ground attack to seize Iraq's northern oil <br>  <br> fields. Iraqi oil reserves -- the second largest in <br>  <br> the world after Saudi Arabia -- are mainly located in <br>  <br> the north around Mosul and Kirkuk or around Basra in <br>  <br> the country's South.  <br><br> The U.S. since the last few weeks has also intensified <br>  <br> air attacks around Basra -- a move that could help its <br>  <br> forces to capture Iraq's southern oil fields and <br>  <br> undermine the possibility of Iraq positioning its <br>  <br> surface-to-surface missile launchers in this area.  <br><br> Analysts point out that there is a general agreement <br>  <br> among the U.S., Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds residing in <br>  <br> northern Iraq, so far, that the U.S. troops should <br>  <br> quickly establish direct military control over Mosul <br>  <br> and Kirkuk soon after the war begins. The <br>  <br> implementation of this plan has acquired some urgency <br>  <br> as there are reports that the Iraqis might blow up the <br>  <br> oil fields in the north and the south soon after the <br>  <br> war begins.  <br><br> The U.S. has justified the intensification of its air <br>  <br> raids, by pointing out that they are meant to enforce <br>  <br> the no-fly zone provisions of the early nineties in <br>  <br> northern and southern Iraq.... <br>  <br> \n","contact":"duaneroberts92804@yahoo.com","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"The invasion of Iraq has already begun ...","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2003\/02\/31524.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}