BRIGHT STAR COULD SERVE TO LAUNCH NEW U.S. ATTACK

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Egypt's Bright Star military exercise, with nearly70,000 soldiers from 10 countries, could serve as a launching pad for a U.S.attack on terrorist targets in the Middle East. U.S. analysts and defense sources said the Pentagon has deployed about18,000 U.S. troops in northeastern Egypt for Bright Star. An additional5,000 troops are based off-shore.