QATAR - March 12 - Gen. Tommy Franks Arrives.

US Gen. Tommy Franks, who will oversee war against Iraq if it comes, arrives in Doha. The duration of his stay and specific mission are unclear. His aides say the stay will be brief and he will then fly on to other countries in the region or return to his Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida. (The US Central Command has established an elaborate forward command post at Camp As Sayliyah, just outside Doha, where Franks and hundreds of US staff officers from all of the military services will direct the 300,000 troops gathered in the region. Before arriving in Doha, Franks stopped in Egypt, where he met with Pres. Hosni Mubarak and senior Egyptian military commanders. The US has been negotiating with Cairo over the use of air bases and the right to use Egyptian airspace for attacks on Iraq. Franks also paid a visit to Amman, where he consulted with Jordanian King Abdullah II. Amman has agreed to allow the stationing of Patriot missile batteries that will seek to intercept any Iraqi missiles launched against Jordan or Israel. Abdullah has also quietly agreed to allow US special forces to operate out of the eastern part of the kingdom along the border with Iraq).