IN THE necklace of military camps now strung out around Kuwait’s northern border with Iraq, there is not the slightest doubt that whatever is said at the United Nations, Nato or any other talking shop, this American-led coalition is about to go to war.

This is not military bravado, just a frank recognition that the planning and organisation appears too far advanced to stop now.

Senior American officers are always careful to preface any remarks they make in public by talking about what will happen “if the President orders us into battle”.

Privately, they do not expect to be hanging around in Kuwait for much longer.

The only matter for debate seems to be the date for D-Day, but the expectation is that the action will begin before all 130,000 US forces are in place or the British components are ready.

Ferries carrying British tanks and other armour are still on their way, but General Michael Hagee, Commandant of the US Marine Corps and member of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, made clear during a recent flying visit to see his forces in Kuwait that they can start tomorrow if the White House so chooses.

Looking around the camp, fortified by a 10ft high sand berm like an ancient desert fort, General Hagee said: “We are ready now.” The US Marines say that they envisage a rolling war, with them leading the charge and reinforcements filling in as they arrive in the region.

The final touches are being put to the battle plan, but it looks likely that British forces are to be asked to stifle any Iraqi opposition that the allies may face in their race to Baghdad. Commanders want the first American mechanised infantry and US Marine units to bypass any big towns where troops loyal to President Saddam Hussein try to put up a fight. They do not want their momentum stalled by having to fight their way through urban centres, nor risk civilian casualties, so the idea is to seal off any pockets of resistance and continue the push north to Baghdad.

British armoured units, who are some weeks behind the Americans in their preparations, could then concentrate on nullifying any remnants of opposition. One senior military source said: “What we must avoid at all cost is what is called ‘urban draw’, which we means we get sucked into a protracted fight and end up besieging some place which slows us down. We have the ability to bypass any troublespot, isolate it, then let troops coming behind the first elements deal with it.”

The first test of this is likely to come at the southern port city of Basra, where Royal Marines will be part of an amphibious attack.

Already efforts are being made to soften up Iraq’s security apparatus. Messages are broadcast continuously on military frequencies, telling the Iraqi police and troops to lay down their weapons with a pledge that they can then stay safely in their barracks and will not be taken as prisoners. Rounding up tens of thousands of Iraqi PoWs would be an unwanted drain on allied manpower.

Aircraft and attack helicopters will be used to deal first with any pockets of armed resistance before artillery is used and, if Iraqis still do not surrender, then allied troops will be required to move in.

“We are trying to avoid fighting our way street by street into populated areas,” the source said. “But if we have to, we will. We do not intend to sit outside some town bombarding it with artillery for weeks on end.”

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