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President Bush has settled on a war plan for Iraq designed to gain footholds in the country quickly, then cut off the leadership in Baghdad, senior administration officials say.
The plan, approved in recent weeks, would begin with an air campaign shorter than the one for the 1991 Persian Gulf war. It calls for massing 200,000 to 250,000 troops for attack by air, land and sea.
The land initially seized within Iraq would be used for bases to funnel U.S. forces deeper into the country, Pentagon and military official say. That approach is intended to relieve some of the diplomatic pressure created by massing troops and initiating attacks from neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia.
