US could target Iraq after Afghanistan

Iraq tops the lists of countries where the United States might take its war on terrorism next. Some other places - Somalia, Sudan, Kashmir - could also face military attacks if Osama bin Laden flees there.

Beyond that, America's next steps probably won't involve bombing runs. Instead, US officials will work with police and armies to find suspects, as they've done in the Philippines and Germany, work to cut off money for terror, as they have in Somalia and Saudi Arabia, and urge governments to end support of terrorists as they have with Syria.
In all, the US will turn, after Afghanistan, to another 40 to 50 - perhaps even 60 - countries where global terrorist networks operate, top Bush administration officials say. Any government that supports or harbours terrorists should be very worried right now, Deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz, the main Bush administration supporter for hitting Iraq, said recently.

In recent days, Wolfowitz and other top officials, including National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, have again hinted that Iraq may soon be a target, regardless of whether the us can definitively tie the nation to the September 11 attacks.

Bureau Report