Tuesday, February 04, 2003

Oil becomes prime battle target
"Whether Saddam Hussein will torch Iraq's oil wells if attacked remains a matter of speculation, but the oilfields have become a prime target for US-led forces under a plan seeking to deprive him of this option.

"US officials already announced that Washington was drawing up plans to move swiftly to protect Iraq's oilfields. London's Daily Telegraph reported last week that British troops will be responsible for securing the oilfields in the event of a war and that 26,000 soldiers from the 7th Armoured and 16 Air Assault brigades will begin training for the operation when they arrive in Kuwait in mid-February."

This report if phrased entirely in terms of "protecting" the oilfields from Saddam. There is no mention of the fact that seizing the oilfields is the primary objective of the war.

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