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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,913867,00.html
Iraq Hiding Its Tanks, Claims Deserter
(Guardian-UK) Luke Harding - A defector from Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard claimed Thursday that the Iraqi army was confident it could withstand massive bombing by America because it had hidden vast amounts of military equipment in civilian areas. His division had taken special precautions to ensure its heavy weapons, including Soviet-built T72 and T62 tanks, survived American attacks. They would then emerge from hiding to ambush invading American troops. "The tanks and armored vehicles have been carefully hidden," he said. "The U.S. army will never find them. The commanders think that in any air bombardment only 5%-10% of the Iraqi army will be damaged." Three new execution squads had been set up within the Republican Guard, with orders to shoot any soldier who attempted to desert, he said. "We all agreed that if the war starts and we are unable to run away we will fight. We decided it was better to be killed by the U.S. than to be killed by one of the execution units."