(12 Mar 2003) STORY
A United States navy commander said on Wednesday that a US-led attack against Iraq will be "lightening-quick".
U-S Navy Rear Admiral Barry Costello, Commander of the Constellation Battle Group, said he was confident a US-led attack would be devastating, lethal, persistent, and precise.
VOICE-OVER:
00.02 Any US-led assault on Iraq is widely expected to begin with an air campaign.
00.07 The USS Constellation heads one of three American carrier battle groups in the Gulf.
00.13 Two more are in the Mediterranean Sea. All are within striking distance of Iraq.
00.19 Speaking on board the Constellation on Wednesday, the man who heads the battle group said there'd never been so much firepower concentrated in one place.
00.27 He said sheer superiority would prove decisive.
00.31 SOUNDBITE: (English):Rear Admiral Barry Costello, Commander of Constellation Battle Group:
"If we are ordered to go forward, it will be lightening-quick, it will be devastating, it will be lethal, it'll be persistent, it'll be precise. PAUSE. I can't give you how many days but it's going to be quick, it's going to be fast."
(Question : This is the air war?)
"This is the whole war."
00.54 The US says the accuracy of its weapons has improved considerably since the last Gulf war.
01.02 But there are still fears any air campaign could cause significant civilian casualties.
01.09 ENDS
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