A B-1 bomber was used to hit Iraqi radar sites in western Iraq. Over the past week, the number of US and British daily warplane sorties over Iraq has steadily increased. In effect, the war has already begun as these bomber hit a larger number of targets, particularly radars and portions of the Chinese built fiber-optic communications system. There are about 700 coalition (mainly US) combat aircraft in the Persian Gulf. 

There are 250,000 US troops in the Persian Gulf area, including 140,000 in Kuwait (including the equivalent of three US and one British ground combat divisions.)