(C) Common Dreams
This story was originally published by Common Dreams and is unaltered.
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AFTER THE WAR; POWELL SAYS U.S. WILL STAY IN IRAQ 'FOR SOME MONTHS' [1]
['Patrick E. Tyler', 'Special To The New York Times']
Date: 1991-03-23
General Powell said he was surprised at the sustained strength of the Iraqi insurrection. The chairman denied that United States forces were being used to influence events in Iraq, even as the Pentagon announced that United States fighter had shot down another Iraqi warplane, the second this week.
At times the general was vague about how the United States was pursuing its goal of pressing Iraq until Mr. Hussein decides to quit. General Powell said President Bush and his senior advisers have not been able to decide whether Mr. Hussein's fall would be hastened more by a United States withdrawal or by a strong continued presence in Iraq.
But he signaled his own thinking when he said: "I think it will go on for a while, and it may be some time before we can tell who has the upper hand in it. Meanwhile, as long as these insurrections continue, it will continue to weaken his hold on power and weaken the regime over time."
"Once these sorts of forces become unleashed they are not simple to put back in the bottle," General Powell said, "particularly when you no longer have the kind of cohesive military forces you once had."
He added that "while the entire civilized world is watching," including United States air patrols that forbid the Iraqi air force any use of the skies, Mr. Hussein "has to be a little careful how he goes about suppressing the various insurrections that are taking place."
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/23/world/after-the-war-powell-says-us-will-stay-in-iraq-for-some-months.html
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