File: aacwr_28.txt
Page: 28
Total Pages: 49

* * * U N C L A S S I F I E D * * *

them. The Turks were reluctant to admit them, lacking the means to feed, clothe, and house hundreds of thousands and fearing a passive influx would aid Kurdish insurgents By providing them new recruits, sanctuaries, and foreign sympathy.

The Bush administration initially resisted calls to intervene in the Kurdish crisis. Officials could not see how they could aid the refugees without involving American troops in an Iraqi civil war. They believed the risks of that involvement outweighed any possible gains. Once in, the United States would find it impossible to leave. But by 5 April, France and Great Britain had begun sending supplies, and the United Nations had passed a resolution condemning Saddam's attacks on his own people. The administration could not appear to lag behind its allies in providing humanitarian aid. The president ordered U.S. relief efforts to begin in two days, on Sunday, 7 April.

The Pentagon now swung into action. The Joint Chiefs issued an alert order for the operation, which They nicknamed Provide Comfort, directing U.S. European Command to prepare to start dropping supplies within 4B hours. Initial efforts would concentrate on whatever could be done fast, such as sending food, tents, blankets, and water. U.S. European Command transmitted its draft operations order to the CS for their approval on 6 April, at 2043Z, several hours after the Turkish government agreed to the deployment. USEUCOM established a JTF with tactical control over all U.S. military forces engaged in the relief effort. Major General Jamerson, who had commanded JTF Proven Force, was appointed commander.

USAFE alerted its units Saturday morning. The first planes were on their way several hours later and reached Incirlik without incident. Meanwhile, USCENTAF deployed an B-3 from Riyadh to the Turkish base. The goal was to start flying: at 0900 local on sunday. The remaining F-15s and F-16s, plus A-10s from-the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, followed on Sunday.

Meanwhile, General Jamerson and his staff, and Army Brigadier General Richard Potter and his staff, had flown from Germany to Incirlik and begun setting up shop. Potter would support Jamerson with a Joint Special Operations Task Force that would conduct search and rescue missions as well as psychological operations (psyops). The two had worked together during Proven Force and were familiar with Incirlik, the operational area, and JTF operations. Jamerson once again found himself commanding a composite force of several different types of aircraft.

* * * U N C L A S S I F I E D * * *

xxvi