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CENTCOM Ready for Any 'Combination, Permutation' Regarding Iraq
Tuesday, October 29, 2002
By Kathleen T. Rhem
American Forces Press Service

"I think the one thing that is not fully appreciated is the depth of commitment of nations around this world ... to the notion that the regime in Baghdad is not helpful either within the region or around the world, that the threat is present, that the threat is growing."

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
Once President Bush makes a decision regarding possible military action in Iraq, leaders of U.S. Central Command are ready for any "combination and permutation" of forces and movement in the region.

"With respect to what we have the ability to do in my region, ... we're prepared to do what the president of the United States tells us to do," Gen. Tommy Franks said in the Pentagon today.

As commander of U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla., Franks is responsible for U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf and Middle East. He'd come to Washington Monday to brief Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on issues concerning CENTCOM and spoke to reporters in a Pentagon briefing.

In response to a reporter's question concerning the potential size of force involved in any such action and deployment timelines, Franks said, "Maybe large, maybe small. Maybe fast, maybe slow. All these represent combinations and permutations that deserve study."
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

Dan