KUWAIT CITY — Sandstorms, dust and broiling heat of up to 120 degrees could complicate U.S. military operations in Iraq if an attack is pushed back until late spring because of weapons inspections and deployment delays.

The military says technological advances have made it easier to fight in any weather. But sand and dust clog engines and air filters and grind down helicopter blades. Heat slows down soldiers and forces troops to transport more water.

A summer war wouldn't be impossible to fight, officials insist, but it would pose big challenges.

"We are accustomed to training in extreme weather conditions," said U.S. military spokesman Capt. David Romley, adding that his own Marine unit trained in the California desert where temperatures often top 120 degrees.

In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Bush vowed to use the "full force and might of the U.S. military" if necessary to disarm Iraq -- a possible sign that war is not far off.

FOXNews, Thursday, January 30, 2003