(Washington Times) Bill Gertz - Saddam Hussein is trying to shore up the loyalty of his military forces amid signs that not all his troops will fight against a U.S.-led invasion, Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday. A U.S. official said later that Iraq recently stepped up the "infiltration" of Iraqi military units by security organizations that check the loyalty of military forces. Morale among most Iraqi troops is said to be low and regular army soldiers are the most disgruntled. There have been reports that Saddam has ordered ammunition withheld from regular army units because he does not trust them. In the 1991 Persian Gulf war "tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers switched sides," noted Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
2003-01-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive