[Thermodyne]

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The Sunday Mail March 16, 2003

Iraqi Tyrant Prepared To Unleash Hell

In-Depth Coverage

By Steve Mckenzie

SADDAM could deliberately provoke a nuclear attack on Baghdad in a doomsday scenario being scrutinised by US generals.

They fear the Iraqi tyrant could launch chemical weapons at Israel to spark a terrifying retaliation on his own people.

Thousands of Iraqis would die, but Saddam reckons the world would be appalled and demand an immediate cease-fire.

British and US troops would also be targeted with al-Samoud missiles armed with chemical warheads.

American military analyst John Pike said: "A nuclear attack against Baghdad would outrage world opinion. International and public pressure would be so great it would stop the war.

"Saddam, of course, would be tucked away somewhere safe and nowhere near downtown Baghdad."

America threatened to attack Iraq with a nuclear bomb if it used chemical weapons in the 1991 Gulf War.

Pike said: "The Gulf War was an excellent example of how weapons of mass destruction work as a deterrent.

"But this time the deterrent has already failed. The US are not deterred from attacking Iraq by what residual chemical and biological weapons it has."

He added: "Saddam will use these weapons because he has nothing to lose."

Pike, who heads security think tank Globalsecurity, warns that Saddam will launch a strike similar to Vietnam's Tet Offensive - but with weapons of mass destruction. The Tet offensive was a massive surprise attack in 1968,when 80,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops struck at towns across South Vietnam.

Pike said: "Saddam will launch chemical attacks the moment he thinks the war will start.

"He will strike at Kuwait with al-Samoud and fire Scuds on Israel.

"Saddam will try to inflict large casualties on American and British troops in the style of the Tet Offensive.

"I think America is gambling that Iraq's weapons are ineffectual and that the regular soldiers will stay in their garrisons and Republican Guard put up a fight for a few days."

Experts say Saddam will resort to medieval tactics and use the environment against the hi- tech weaponry of America and Britain.

Refugees who have fled Baghdad claim large ditches filled with oil have been dug around the city. They will be set alight to throw up a curtain of flames and thick black smoke. Land around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers could be flooded to bog down tanks.

The tactic was used during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war and saw hundreds of Iranians trapped and killed.

If he doesn't succeed in getting Baghdad nuked, Saddam is set to turn the city into a bloody battleground.

Pike said: "Baghdad would become Grozny or Stalingrad - pick any urban warfare nightmare of modern times."

Saddam, who uses body doubles, may have already fled Baghdad to go into hiding

Pike said: "We don't know where he is. Maybe we will be hunting him like we are bin Laden.

"But Saddam is also prepared to die rather than surrender because he thinks it will make him a leader who died in victory."

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Copyright © 2003, Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd.