In message , Kevin
Brooks writes
"Paul J. Adam" wrote in message
...
Worked pretty well at getting Hussein out of Kuwait in 1991.

US troops were enroute and on the ground before the UN took any form
of "action".

Resolution 660 was passed on August 2 1990, demanding an immediate Iraqi
withdrawal. Resolution 661, imposing a trade and financial embargo in
Iraq, passed on 6th August.

The US announced the imminent arrival of leading elements of the 82nd
Airborne in Saudi Arabia on the 8th August.

Might have worked again in 2003.

Why? It sure as hell had NOT worked between 1991 and 2003 (or do you
think the multitude of resolutions that were not backed up due to foot
dragging actually *meant* anything?), so why you think it would have
enjoyed a miraculous conversion to being an effective organization in
03 is beyond me.

If driving to Baghdad was such a good idea in 1991, why was it not done?

(With hindsight, 1998 was perhaps the best time for such action)

So the US _resented_ having French troops guard its left flank in 1991?
Why didn't it tell the French to go copulate with themselves and provide
their own flank security?

LOL! You must have missed the last-minute cringing of the French
leadership; you know, when they started waffling about actually going
into combat, requiring your then-PM and our then-President to get on
the phone to try to stiffen French resolve? And if you really think
the 6th LAD's "flank protection" role was that important, much less
critical, then I have overestimated your tactical/operational insight,
Paul. The fact is that the French were shuffled off to that flank
because we could not count on them, and we then backed them up with a
brigade of the 82nd Abn Div in case they pulled another last minute
"we have decided that we should give Hussein more time" crap.

Which doesn't answer the question - if they were so much trouble, why
bother? Tell them that they can go back to France and the Coalition will
get the job done without them.

Sounds like there was a perceived need to keep the French on-side.

--
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
W S Churchill

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk