WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The Bush administration is believed to be planning to
launch a three-month military campaign on Iraq during the summer.Western diplomats, intelligence officials as well as congressional
sources said the administration has relayed its intention to launch an
attack on the regime of President Saddam Hussein by August. They said
President George Bush has outlined plans for a staged offensive that would
first seek to assassinate Saddam and his key cohorts.The U.S. attack, the diplomats and sources said, envisions a lightning
offensive against Baghdad and the capture of key Iraqi military
installations. They said the move would seek to kill Saddam or drive him out
of Baghdad to eliminate the prospect of bloody resistance in the Iraqi
capital.If this doesn't work, the diplomats and sources said, the United States
would launch stage two of the military campaign. This would involve heavy
air attacks on Iraqi military installations. Stage three calls for a ground
attack.
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