The longer the United States is engaged in an armed conflict in Iraq, the longer it will take to rebuild the Iraqi government and economy, local experts say.

Since the United States’ “shock and awe” campaign began Friday, or “air day,” American troops have been targeting Saddam Hussein’s palaces and Baghdad buildings suspected of housing weapons of mass destruction and trying to protect oil wells and fields.

On Friday, American troops overtook the Faw Peninsula, a key oil region in Iraq.

Joel Moses, professor of political science and Middle East specialist, said he believes the United States targeted Saddam Hussein and Iraqi government officials as soon as President Bush’s 48-hour deadline was up in an effort to shorten the conflict.

“The CIA apparently had identified Saddam Hussein and his sons as being in a particular building and that caused the sudden launching of cruise missiles in an effort to shorten the war,” he said.

Moses said Bush realizes a ground war in Iraq will be very costly to the United States.

Robert Baum, professor of religious studies, said he believes a potential ground war in Baghdad could be long lasting.

“I think they’ll move into the area around Baghdad very quickly and then from there it will be very slow,” he said.

Moses said he believes the actual conflict will be brief, but confrontation between the United States and Iraq will last longer.

“The fighting will be relatively short lived,” he said.

“You can defeat their formal military but there are guns everywhere in Iraq.”

Ground troops entered Iraq Friday when the 101st Army regime crossed the border from Kuwait.

Baum said he believes Iraqi troops are prepared for U.S. invasion in Baghdad.

“I think we grossly underestimate the degree of resistance we’ll encounter in Baghdad in urban warfare,” he said. “I think there will be significant [Iraqi] groups that will fight very desperately and this won’t be like 11 years ago.”

Moses said the U.S. strike on Iraq without U.N. support has led to a lack of international support. “It creates a situation where clearly we have said ‘to hell with international law, might makes right,’ ” he said.

Moses said there are only four countries that are truly in alliance against Iraq: The United States, Spain, Australia and Britain. He said this contradicts the 40 countries Bush claims support the United States in the “Coalition of the Willing.”

“If you cut through the disinformation campaign coming out of the White House, there are clearly only four countries supporting us,” he said. “All these other countries have done is to comply by their silence and let us fly over their air space.”

Effects of war on state, national economy

State and national officials have differing views about the attacks’ impact, safety at home and the necessity of a war.

Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada, said Iowans are directly affected by the operation.

“We have the obvious impact of our state’s sons and daughters who are overseas fighting the war,” he said.

Kurtenbach said soldiers’ families will face economic hardships.

Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, said Iowans will feel the blunt of the conflict at home.

“Yesterday [Wednesday] we received word that we had to send extra troops to protect the railroad bridges across the Mississippi,” she said.

Rep. Lisa Heddens, D-Ames, however, said Iowa will not suffer economically.

“I don’t foresee [economic cuts in Iowa due to the war] at this time,” she said.

Kurtenbach said Iowans are safe from attacks in Iowa.

“I have never given a serious thought to safety,” he said. “I really feel that today we are as safe as we’ve ever been in our nation’s history.”

Heddens said it is hard to call Iowa safe while the nation is facing war.

Nationally, White House officials estimate rebuilding Iraq will cost $75 billion to $80 billion.

Moses said it would take a long time to rebuild Iraq after a war and it would be a difficult process.

“If we remain there we’re going to get caught in the middle,” he said. “The two sides that are killing each other are going to decide they have one common enemy and start killing us.”

After less than a week of the armed conflict, there has already been American and Iraqi casualties and prisoners of war taken on both sides.

Moses said he predicts the majority of the money to fund rebuilding Iraq will come from U.S. citizens, as other countries will not likely help the United States due to lack of international support in this war campaign.

“The major economic burden is going to be on the American taxpayer,” he said.

Peter Orazem, professor of economics, said in an e-mail from Slovenia that the United States will have economic stress from the conflict.

“The regime building will be expensive if the U.S. takes it seriously,” he said.

Orazem said the United States’ ability to freeze Saddam’s assets to use for rebuilding Iraq depends on whether the assets belong to Saddam or Iraq.

“The U.S cannot freeze assets that are not in U.S. control unless they have the assistance of the country involved,” he said.

Views from Ames

Bethany Kohoutek, senior in journalism and religious studies, was one of several Time for Peace protesters gathered at the corner of Lincoln Way and Welch Avenue at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. She said she was protesting because she believes the conflict on Iraq is “the opposite of what the president and democracy are supposed to stand for.”

Nathan Vermeer, junior in agricultural business and participant in March 2 pro-America rally, said he is supportive of U.S. action.

“I’m supportive of getting rid of Saddam the way they are and I’m supporting them using force to do it,” he said.

Though Bush described the strikes as the United States’ last resort, Greimann said she wishes Bush would have waited for support of the United Nations taking action against Iraq.

“I have said publicly that I think this is a presumptive move,” she said. “But now we have done this and I am very supportive of the young people that are over there.”

Heddens said she would have liked to have let the UN investigators search Iraq longer.

Andrew Smalley, chair of Story County Republicans, said he believes the U.S. will be successful in it’s mission in Iraq. He said he believes military action in Iraq was the last resort to be taken on the of Saddam Hussein regime.

“Giving people the chance to live in freedom, to thrive, to grow — sometimes it’s not pretty but it is the last resort,” Smalley said.

Smalley said he believes the actions of the Iraqi troops illustrate the reason the U.S. is taking action against Iraq.

“It’s pretty obvious what type of person and regime we’re working with,” he said. “When we lower our guard they pick up their weapons and start firing on Marines.”

Smalley said he does not think the U.S. will have to solely fund the reconstruction of Iraq after the war.

“There’s over 35 countries in the coalition that have offered different ideas of what they’re going to be doing,” he said. “As more of [Hussein’s] tactics come to bare, I think the UN will see more and more that this was the last resort and take its position in it.”

Kurtenbach said he believes an armed conflict with Iraq was a necessary move for the United States.

“I have always trusted the wisdom of leaders,” he said.

“I realize our leadership would not take us there if it wasn’t necessary.”

— CNN and Daily Staff Writer Michaela Saunders contributed to this story.