Saddam’s grip on Bagdad combined with the Iraqis general sense of national violation makes it nearly impossible for US ground troops to enter the city. Reluctantly, more and wider airstrikes are called in and the civilian death toll rises precipitously. As the siege of various Iraqi cities grinds on, critisism from the international community grows as no weapons of mass destruction are produced as proof of Saddam’s violations.
Russia formally proposes a resolution to the UN Security Council demanding an American/British withdrawal from Iraq, which the U.S. and Britain both veto.
A false but convincing report is “leaked” to Mossad about an iminent WOMAD strike from within a facility disguised as a hospital in a Western Iraqi city. The US refuses to bomb a hospital due to the increasing outrage over the humanitarian disaster the war has become. Israel attempts to covertly bomb the facility itself and Saddam’s gestapo makes sure to express mail the video of Israeli planes bombing a hospital full of wounded Iraqis.
The governments of Egypt and Jordan are overthrown in the resulting riots demanding an immediate attack on Israel.
Syrian and Jordanian armored units attack Israeli forces in the Golan Heights. Syrian “peacekeepers” in Lebanon begin a combined artillery and rocket attack on Nahariyya and Haifa.
Egyptian and Libyan tank columns strike in Southern Israel. Saudi Arabia expels all U.S. forces and diplomats. Kuwait, Quatar and Iraq become the only Moslem nations the U.S. can still base troops in and those stationed in Iraq suffer near constant ambushes by Iraqi secret police dressed as civilians.
Israel generally prevails in direct action, but the civilian casualty cost on both sides horrifies the world.
Musharaff is ousted by a popular uprising in Pakistan for his cooperation with the United States. India warily watches its neighbor for any sign of nuclear posturing.
Iran declares war on Israel and demands U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and Kuwait.
A North Korean missile test “accidentally” shoots down a U.S. Spy plane, increasing tension on the Korean Peninsula.
Tony Blair is ousted in England after struggling to maintain support for the ever-widening war. His successor immediately withdraws British troops from Iraq.
A Scud missile fired by Iran lands slightly off it’s American military base target in Kuwait, killing hundreds of civilians. Iranian gunboats attempt to attack U.S. Naval forces in the Gulf with Silkworm missiles, sinking one before being annihilated by the U.S. Navy.
Iranian ballistic missiles, bought from China and North Korea, are fired at Israel. Most are knocked down by Patriot missiles, but several hit their targets.
The Israeli Air Force retaliates against Iran, but finds it cannot effectively fight two wars at once. The U.S. reluctantly begins strike missions against Iranian missile bases.
Pakistan delivers a 100KT nuclear warhead into the Persian Gulf via a ballistic missile, vaporizing a U.S. Carrier Battle Group. India incinerates Karachi with one of its own nuclear weapons.
The U.S. public and government are stunned on a level far surpassing 9/11 by the nuclear strike. Bush promises that the retaliation will be swift and controlled.
The United Nations condemns what’s left of Pakistan.
Iran drops a ballistic missile loaded with anthrax on Tel Aviv.
Israel drops a nuclear warhead on Tehran.
The United Nations condemns Israel, but nobody’s been listening for some time now.
Libyan planes sink several oil tankers bound for the United States.
The U.S. economy goes into a tailspin as Middle Eastern oil deliveries essntially cease.
The U.S. finally manages to kill Saddam Hussein (covered live by Al Jazeera). Bush declares the objective met. Congress demands the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. Forces from Iraq and the Persian Gulf region. An orderly withdrawal is only infrequently hindered by Silkworm and Scud missile attacks.
But at least the Iraqis are liberated now.