U.S. troops in Kuwait to counter Iraq's<\/p>\n
KUWAIT (Reuter): A planeload of U.S. soldiers touched down in
\nKuwait yesterday, the first units of an American force rushing to
\nthe emirate to counter an Iraqi troop build-up near the border,
\nwitnesses said.<\/p>\n
A DC-10 aircraft landed at the closely-guarded military sector
\nof Kuwait international airport shortly before dusk carrying 300
\ntroops from mechanized infantry units based in Fort Stewart,
\nGeorgia.<\/p>\n
U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker and a group of U.S. army officers
\nstood on the tarmac waiting to greet the men, the first of a
\n4,000-strong contingent ordered to Kuwait.<\/p>\n
Kuwaiti soldiers backed by tanks were already in positions
\nnear the border.<\/p>\n
But as a deadline set by Iraq for an easing of UN sanctions
\nticked away, the rhetoric in Baghdad's government-controlled
\npress showed no sign of compromise.<\/p>\n
Iraq's ruling Baath party newspaper reiterated Iraqi demands
\nsaying: \"The ball is in the Security Council's court.\"<\/p>\n
Iraq has set yesterday, when UN chief arms monitor Rolf Ekeus
\nis due to report to the Security Council on Baghdad's compliance
\nwith his mission, as the deadline for the lifting of the
\nsanctions imposed after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.<\/p>\n
But Kuwait said the report would not be filed yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"Let the whole world hear that the sons of Kuwait...have vowed
\nto put all they treasure in defense of this small and peaceful
\ncountry,\" Kuwaiti crown prince and prime minister Sheikh Saad al-
\nAbdulla al-Sabah told parliament.<\/p>\n
\"This report will not be submitted today...this is a message
\nto the head of the Iraqi regime in Baghdad that the Security
\nCouncil will not be drawn into responding to the threats of the
\nIraqi regime,\" Sheikh Saad told parliament.<\/p>\n
There was no word from United Nations headquarters on the
\nprince's comments.<\/p>\n
U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry said in Washington that
\nthe total number of Iraqi soldiers could reach 80,000, including
\nunits which were still moving towards the border area.<\/p>\n
Washington has ordered 36,000 U.S. troops and 200 warplanes
\ninto the region to block any attempt by Iraq to repeat its 1990
\ninvasion, which resulted in the expulsion of the occupation force
\nby a U.S.-led multinational army in February 1991.<\/p>\n
Perry said U.S. forces being deployed in Saudi Arabia and
\nKuwait would stay as long as needed. By the end of the day there
\nwould be 200 tactical U.S. warplanes in the region.<\/p>\n
Confident<\/p>\n
On a desert plain close to the frontier with Iraq, Kuwaiti
\nchief of staff Maj. Gen. Ali al-Moumen said he was confident his
\ntroops could deal with any attack by Iraqi forces.<\/p>\n
\"I feel comfortable with the threat we can see. They've got
\nsuperiority in numbers but we have our own advantages,\" Moumen
\nsaid. Reporters touring the border area saw small groups of
\nKuwaiti troops and tanks deployed on the barren plain.<\/p>\n
UN peacekeepers on the border were keeping a close eye on a
\ntent city of 2,000 stateless Arabs that has sprung up between the
\nfrontier and the gathering Iraqi force.<\/p>\n
Kuwait has charged that many are soldiers in civilian dress
\nand there are worries they be used by Iraq to stage a
\ndemonstration or to act as a human shield in case of war.<\/p>\n
\"This continues to be a source of potential concern,\" one
\ndiplomat said.<\/p>\n
Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Saeed al-Sahaf said in a
\nstatement that Iraq wanted a diplomatic solution to the crisis
\nand Russia, China and France were working in this direction.<\/p>\n
But Iraq would not accept anything short of definite
\nassurances that the \"suffering of the Iraqi people\" would end --
\na reference to hardships resulting from the sanctions.<\/p>\n
He hinted that Iraq was seeking a quid pro quo of a lifting of
\nsanctions in return for recognition of Kuwaiti sovereignty, a
\nstep Iraq has consistently refused to take in the past.
\nWestern diplomats in Kuwait said this was unacceptable.<\/p>\n
Kuwait said foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council
\n(GCC), linking Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and the
\nUnited Arab Emirates, would meet in Kuwait tomorrow to discuss
\nthe crisis. They will also meet U.S. Secretary of State Warren
\nChristopher there.<\/p>\n
New game -- Page 5
\n Tensions -- Page 9
\n Ultimatum -- Page 12<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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