<"The plan you see is the plan we have been on," General Franks said.

"That is generally the case, but it is not the entire story. The Pentagon has planned to send the force in stages. The several divisions that are to be sent in the next several weeks or months were intended primarily to help stabilize Iraq after Mr. Hussein is toppled. But it was also recognized that the troops being sent were an insurance force that could be used in the invasion of Iraq if the opposition was unexpectedly stiff.

"By putting off the main attack on Baghdad, General Franks could, in effect, build up the invasion force. But the Pentagon would be able to say that it was simply sticking to an earlier plan for placement of the troops and not making an emergency request for additional forces, a move that would be politically damaging and that would imply that American officials had not planned properly for the war."