WASHINGTON Ñ Leading U.S. military commanders have transferred their
headquarters to the Persian Gulf region in preparation for an attack on
Iraq.
The commander of the U.S. Marines in the Asian region
is expected to arrive in Bahrain in the next few weeks. The command, led by
Lt. Gen. Earl Hailston and a support staff of 500 people, has been moved
from Hawaii.
Commanders of the army, navy and air force have already been transferred
to the Persian Gulf.
U.S. officials have not announced the transfer of the commands. Pentagon
statements have not reported that the commands are moving to Kuwait, and sometimes refer to the location as "Southwest Asia."
The U.S. Third Army, a support unit and part of the Central Command, has
been operating in Kuwait since Nov. 11. The command has been accompanied by
more than 2,000 soldiers as well as advanced tanks and armored systems. The
troops have been exercising with both the Kuwaiti military as well as units
from other NATO forces, such as Canada and Germany.
U.S. officials said the effort is meant to prepare for any continuation
of the U.S.-led war against terrorism. In all, about 20,000 military
personnel are in the Gulf region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi
Arabia.
The transfer of U.S. military commanders include Lt. Gen. Paul
Mikolashek, who heads army troops from Kuwait. His air force and navy
counterparts are Lt. Gen. T. Michael Moseley, based in Saudi Arabia, and
Vice Adm. Charles Moore Jr., who has ended his tenure in Bahrain.
The U.S. military effort began immediately after the Sept. 11 Islamic
suicide attacks in New York and Washington. The air force moved a command
from South Carolina to Saudi Arabia to man an operations center. The
navy and army soon followed.
