European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 11, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday August 11, 1990 the stars and stripes j. Page 7iraq�?Ts chemical arms new York apr iraqis chemical weapons might slow Down . Troops in the Middle East but Are unlikely to claim Many american lives arms experts say. Brad Roberts a chemical arms specialist at the Center for strategic arid International studies in Washington said iraqis chemical weapons could not Stop a . Naval blockade or defeat an american defense of saudi arabians Oil Fields. L if ground warfare broke out Between Iraq and the United states iraqis president Saddam Hussein could use chemical weapons to attack . Forces and to deny them Access to certain terrain Roberts  to do it Over an extended period of time he would need a lot of chemical agent a and it would have to be packaged in artillery shells bombs or missiles and he would need the ability to move the weapons into place quickly. Iraqis use of chemical weapons against Iran led to ghastly pictures of victims covered with severe blisters but most of those victims recovered Iran has reported. As of april 1987, for example Iran had reported 27,000 victims but Only 262 deaths said Seth Carus a fellow at the naval War College foundation in Newport . Iraq has also used chemical weapons against the kurd an ethnic minority in Iraq. John dutch Provost of the Massachusetts Institute of technology and a member of the defense science Board said its Likely the United states would dramatically escalate the conflict if Hussein used chemical weapons against . Troops. \ �?o1 fear to speculate what the response would be by the . Or its allies a he said. The threat of chemical weapons could reduce the effectiveness of . Troops forced to Wear protective suits and Gas masks in the fierce desert heat the authorities said. But most said that  give Iraq a very important tactical advantage. A there is a popular misconception that you have to marines at Eltoro calif., air station Wear protective clothing during chemical warfare training Wear the Protection buttoned up All the time and that a simply not True a said Matthew Meselson of Harvard University who has been a government consultant on chemical weapons. Meselson said protective gear would make it seem 10 degrees hotter than it really was. If the temperature is 100 degrees and the humidity 50 percent a Soldier probably  carry a 90-Pound pack for More than 40 minutes he said. If he has to pull on a suit Over his uniform that might be Cut to 20  chief air Force it. Gen. Charles a. Homer is the commander of a desert shield a the deployment of . Troops in saudi Arabia. Homer a 53-year-old fighter Pilot is commander of 9th air Force and . Central come air forces based at Shaw fab  unlikely to to Saddam by the Baltimore Sun Washington a Iraq is so hardened to Battle after its eight year War with Iran that . Officials believe it May take months for the economic embargo to wreak such havoc that president Saddam Hussein would be forced out of Kuwait. . Military intervention in the persian Gulf Region is aimed at protecting saudi Arabia from an iraqi attack that could disrupt major Oil supplies to the West. But an administration official said a the most important weapon is the economic sanctions a and a possible naval blockade. An embargo cuts off ammunition spare parts and food supplies in order to prevent Saddam from being Able to maintain his forces in Kuwait. 9 but despite the desperate economic condition of Iraq following its War with Iran and Given its $40 billion foreign debt Burden administration officials said that the embargo might have to go on indefinitely. It could be protracted by Hussein a evident determination to emerge As Leader of the Arab Oil producing nations. Withdrawal from Kuwait could undermine that goal. Iraq cannot count on vital supplies of Basic foods such As Rice from Thailand because of the far reaching Trade and financial Boycott imposed earlier this week by the United nations. The officials maintained that the economic sanctions ultimately will be More successful because the International pledge of cooperation crosses ideologies a bringing in the soviet Union once a staunch ally of Iraq. Iraqis geographic position also helps implementation of the embargo they said because routes to Iraq through the persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Are limited. The embargo was aimed in Large part at depriving Iraq of its huge Oil revenues because Oil accounts for 90 percent of its exports. The embargo will eventually also severely Hurt Iraq by cutting critical supplies of food the officials said but its Impact will take time. A it May take three to six months for Iraq to feel real food shortages a John p. Parker a Middle East specialist with the department of agriculture said. Iraq has imported 70 percent to 80 percent of its food supplies at an annual Cost of $2 billion. Its stocks were Low when it invaded Kuwait he said with Only two months Supply of wheat and three months Supply of Rice at Normal consumption Levels. There arc huge stockpiles of canned goods in Kuwait that Iraq can commandeer but reports reaching Washington indicate food shortages already arising in the occupied emirate which imported 98 percent of its food. Some iraqis stocked up on Rise sugar cooking Oil and other food after the sanctions were imposed. But Parker said that he doubted Hussein had a thought about the food  in addition Iraq cannot rely on significant financial help from other nations. Its chief allies in the current confrontation arc poor Middle Eastern nations eager to provide moral support but Short on Cash. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait provided Iraq with crucial backing in its War with Iran. In occupying Kuwait Iraq Laid claim to its global investments Worth at least $80 billion which brought in income of $4 billion to $6 billion a year. But by freezing kuwaiti and iraqi assets the major Industrial nations have kept from Saddam much of the spoils of his invasion. Customs impounding Iraq bound goods. A.  v  a pc Auer the Lin no us have been suspended and ther new York apr . Customs agents have impounded aircraft missile and gun parts and computers satellite equipment and other hardware bound for Iraq or Kuwait in the new York area and Baltimore Otti vials said thursday. Customs officials began impounding the goods on sunday the same Day Fri agents sealed iraqi airline offices in Manhattan Detroit and los Angeles Fri spokesman Joseph Valiquette Aid. Nearly $1 million Worth of goods was held at Kennedy International Airport this week said customs inspector de Hotchkiss. It included 960 barrels of Jet fuel 23 crates of Neil Quot tary aircraft parts three crates of radar equipment _6 air conditioning units and 21 boxes of personal computers. A Small shipment of radios to Kuwait also was impounded. At port Elizabeth n.j., in the new York area customs agents seized $2 million in .-made satellite equipment bound for Iraq said customs spokeswoman Joan Baran. At the port of Baltimore two shipments of military equipment bound for Kuwait in 190 containers were impounded said customs spokesman Pat o Malley. The shipments consisted of spare parts for f-18 warplanes Hawk and sidewinder missiles and guns of Malley said. Another shipment of 36 containers was expected and would be held he said. A a fall the documentation was in proper order. How Ever the licenses have been suspended and there can be no Export at this time a of Malley said. The value of the shipments was not immediately available he said. Anyone deliberately trying to circumvent the embargo declared by president Bush following iraqis invasion of Kuwait on aug. 2 would face criminal prosecution Hotchkiss said. Most of the shipments were a already in the pipeline Quot before Bush a proclamation he said. No charges were expected against any of the shippers. The goods will be held until the Federal government determines ownership Hotchkiss said. Goods already paid for by the iraqis will probably be confiscated while those still owned by . Companies May be returned he said