WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has begun massive psychological warfare operations in Iraq, beaming radio messages that call on civilians and the military to abandon Saddam Hussein “before he destroys Iraq.”
Pentagon officials said last night Air Force EC-130 Commando Solo aircraft have broadcast nine anti-Saddam messages into southern Iraq since late last week.
U.S. generals have based the Iraq war plan on the widespread belief that many military units would stay in their barracks and Saddam’s regime would quickly implode once any coalition assault begins.
One message from the Commando Solo aircraft, in Arabic, accuses Saddam of spending money from oil revenues on weapons of mass destruction while Iraqi civilians go hungry and children die of diseases that are routinely treatable.
“People of Iraq, the amount of money Saddam spends on himself in one day would be more than enough to feed a family for a year. How much longer will this corrupt rule be allowed to exploit and oppress the Iraqi people?” says one broadcast.