Military Statistics

A summary of the fourth week of the Persian Gulf War begins one week ago: MONDAY, FEB. 11 * President Bush meets with Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and joint chiefs Chairman Gen. Colin L. Powell and says the air war "will continue for a while." * The Iraqi government announces that it will begin drafting 17-year-olds. TUESDAY, FEB. 12 * President Bush confers in Washington with the defense chiefs of Britain and France.

President Bush offered only a few pieces of specific evidence Sunday to support his assertion that "we are winning the war in Iraq." And like so much in Iraq, even those are hotly debated. The president said more than 126 Iraqi combat battalions were now engaged in "fighting the enemy" and "more than 50 are taking the lead." Those numbers are based on current Pentagon estimates of Iraqi troop strength, officials said. An Iraqi battalion includes about 600 men.

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's government ordered its forces to withdraw from Kuwait as allied troops pushed farther into Iraq and the occupied nation of Kuwait today in the third day of a massive ground offensive. But the White House turned a cold shoulder to the withdrawal announcement broadcast over Baghdad Radio. "We continue to prosecute the war. We have heard no reason to change that," President Bush's press secretary, Marlin Fitzwater, told reporters. Before the U.N.

As a tense world watched and waited, the noon deadline set by the United States for Iraq to begin withdrawing from Kuwait passed--and was ignored by Iraq. About eight hours later, the 800,000-plus allied force launched its full-scale ground war on Iraq and occupied Kuwait, sources said. In Washington, President Bush went on national television to declare, "The liberation of Kuwait has now entered a final phase."

WHAT: Home base to 1st Marine Amphibious Force, 1st Marine Division, other supporting units. BASE POPULATION: 45,000, including 32,000 active-duty Marines and 12,000 dependents (prewar levels). WHERE: Northern San Diego County, bordered by San Clemente on the north and Oceanside on the south. AREA: 125,000 acres PERSONNEL IN MIDEAST: 30,000

The Pentagon released its long-awaited report to Congress on the Persian Gulf War on Friday, a 1,335-page compendium of self-congratulation with an abridged list of a dozen "shortcomings" that emerged during the conflict. In an introduction, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney celebrated the "outstanding victory" of allied forces against Iraq, saying it will pay military and geopolitical dividends for the United States for years to come. He also praised U.S.

Defense Secretary Dick Cheney will recommend to President Bush today that he allow warplanes to continue bombing Iraqi troops for a while longer before ordering a ground assault into occupied Kuwait, senior Bush Administration officials said.

The House Democratic leadership Tuesday endorsed a plan by the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee to slice $114 billion from the defense budget over the next five years, setting the stage for another major battle with the Bush Administration. At a session with reporters, Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) said the plan, unveiled formally Tuesday afternoon by Rep. Les Aspin (D-Wis.

Primary combat rifle issued to U.S. front-line soldiers in the Gulf. It is an improved version of the M-16A1, which during the Vietnam War was often criticized for its tendency to jam. First used in 1987, the M-16A2 has greater accuracy, heavier barrel and uses standard NATO ammunition. Soviet-made counterpart; the AK-47 assault rifle. Weight: 8.9 lbs. Cartridge: 5.56-millimeter Operation: gas-, air-cooled, selective fire; semi-automatic with 3-shot bursts.

The Army's high-utility, multipurpose wheeled vehicle is officially called the M998 cargo-troop carrier. Service members call the cross between a fat car and a squat truck a Humvees. In 1985, the army switched from jeeps to Humvees, which travel over sand dunes and highway. The Humvee was battle tested a year ago in Panama, where it reportedly ran even with flat tires, thanks to magnesium doughnuts inside the tires.