GRAPEVINE

By DAVID ELLIS

Iraqi forces in Kuwait and southern Iraq have a weak link: their water supply. According to U.S. intelligence reports, the Iraqis have only about four days' worth of water on hand for drinking and for cooling tanks and vehicles. The supply flows from an already damaged desalinization plant in Kuwait City and via pipelines and tanker trucks from Baghdad and Basra. So far, allied bombers have concentrated on higher-priority targets within Iraq, including mobile Scud missile launchers. But coalition leaders will soon focus on the supply lines, and remain confident that they can thirst out the Iraqis. Predicts one White House official: "They'll come out with their hands up, begging us for water."

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart