Iraq War
Reviews by Rumsfeld
CENTCOM had a contingency plan for a new war with Iraq, designated OPLAN 1003-98. It assumed Iraq would launch an attack as it had done in 1990. According to GEN Anthony Zinni, who had been CENTCOM commander when Franks commanded its Army component, Franks was "the major contributor to [its] force levels and its planning and everything else. He was more involved in it than just about anyonene else." [1] Zinni had recommended that Franks succeed him at CENTCOM.
Rumsfeld had OPLAN 1003-98 presented by LTG Greg Newbold, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in late 2001. Rumsfeld believed the plan, which called for up to 500,000 troops, was far too large; Rumsfeld thought that no more than 125,000 would be needed. Newbold later said he regretted he did not say, at the time,
Mr. Secretary, if you try to put a number on a mission like this, you may cause enormous mistakes. Give the military the task, give the military what you would like to see them do, and let them come up with it. I was the junior military man in the room, but I regret not saying it[2]
Informally, it had been called "DESERT STORM II", using three corps as in 1991, but to force collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime. Franks told Rumsfeld, on December 4, 2001, that it was a stale, troop-heavy concept. He told the Secretary of Defense that he had a new concept, but that detailed planning would be needed. [3]