European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse To need had food and Medicine. The looting and shooting had mostly been confined to downtown Kuwait City during the first two Days after the invasion on aug. 2, Diemler said. After that the iraqis pretty much left the americans alone a Diemler was one of a few dozen Quot wardens named by the . Embassy in Kuwait to communicate with . Citizens during the crisis. There were about 25 families on his list and he spoke with them regularly absorbing their barrage of questions and relaying information and advice from the embassy. A when the iraqi order to assemble was announced Diemler said morale among the americans sharply deteriorated. Everybody he talked to agreed about one thing they weren t going to follow the order except at gunpoint. A a a a number of americans he walked making preparations to go underground to disappear As Best As a Light skinned Westerner can in a tiny country occupied by More than 150,000 iraqi troops. ,. Quot everybody was very nervous. We All agreed it was just an intermediate step on the Way to Baghdad Quot Diemler said. Quot the americans i talked to were really undecided As to what they should do if the iraqis really pressed. Nobody i talked to thought it was a Good idea to go with . Diemler decided it was Lime to make a run across the desert. Earlier head figured the risks outweighed the chances for Success. All of the westerners trapped in Kuwait had been chilled by the news the week before that a British Man attempting to escape had been shot dead by iraqi soldiers he said. Others who tried to make the run had been fired upon. The us. Government through voice of America broadcasts was officially advising against an escape attempt a although Diemler thought the message was ambiguous since it included an acknowledgement that some americans had made it out. While talking to the americans on his list Diemler encountered one woman who knew of a Convoy of indians kuwaitis and British expatriates who were planning to run for it. The woman Quot said she was either going underground or she was going to go with them in the Convoy we talked and we just kind of decided to go for . I. A Diemler got a place in the Convoy because the Indian family a a father his eight months pregnant wife and their 5-year-old daughter a needed somebody to drive their jeep Diemler jumped at the Chance a Quot i think there were a lot of americans who wanted to escape but the problem was finding the bedouin. Guides said Diemler referring to nomadic arabs who ply the Barren tracks of the arabian Peninsula. Quot we had heard that you just drive into the desert and you could find bedouins but nobody wanted to take that Chance. That s the biggest problem with More americans trying to get out a they Don t know How to make Contact with these a a a. Other westerners who have escaped with the help of a bedouins said their guides charged roughly j100 per. Person a relative bargain Given the hazards involved the bedouin who Mot Jern Lerz a Convoy and agreed to guide them 100 mites through iraqi tanks and troop. Trucks wanted nothing according . The bedouin said Only Quot you help me when i come to the United states,&Quot.according . A a a a disguised in traditional Arab dress Diemler and his companions piled into a four wheel drive headed out of Kuwait City initially on a paved Road. The first Timo they turned off into the desert an iraqi military vehicle spotted them and mane Vered to Block their path. The soldiers did t fire but they got out Wilh guns and waved at Diemler s Convoy to turn around but the bedouin with Diemler s group was. Undeterred. He led them Back to the main Road Down a bit farther then into the desert again. A a a for two hours Diemler drove at Breakneck Speed a toward the saudi Border past scores of iraqi troops and vehicles. Where the Bare ground was hard and packed the Convoy reached 75 Miles an hour. Where the Sand was soft and deep they slowed and tried to keep the engines revving to avoid getting Sluck. In one Patch of dunes a jeep in the Convoy got stuck in the Sand and the rest of them had to Stop. They sat in full View of iraqi soldiers for 45 minutes while hear bedouin guide and one or two others rocked the trapped vehicle out of its rut. The iraqi soldiers did t bother driving Diemler said he kept looking for a a Here were a lot of americans who wanted to escape from Kuwait but the problem was finding the bedouin guides. Steve Diemler referring to nomadic arabs who ply the Barren tracks of the arabian Peninsula. Saudi Flag the Only certain sign that they d in ached the. Border Quot finally Shore it was the formalities at the Border Post which included a bit More bureaucratic paperwork than an exhausted War refugee might have expected they drove Down the big superhighway along the persian Gulf coast,.through the Fields where half the world s known Oil reserves Are situated a at a hotel they phoned Home and ate a meal then turned onto the 14 mile Bridge saudi Arabia to Bahrain arriving at their hotel at 2 a m saturday. Aug 18, 15 hours after they had set out. Like Many of the kuwaitis South asians and westerners who have escaped from occupied Kuwait Diemler said to is primarily concerned about the plight of the hundreds of americans he loft behind the official count is about 3.000, based on the number of visa holders in Kuwait a the time of the invasion but Diemler and others said they guessed Iho actual number was much less because Many westerners along with wealthy kuwaitis were out of the country on summer vacations at the time of the invasion a what do the americans in Kuwait want ? Quot my general impression is they re wailing for someone to Rescue. Them Quot Diemler said. Quot they re waiting for the cavalry they want it to happen. The big fear among the americans was that the u a government is going to. Wait until it s too late. Afler the announcement about going to the hotels there was the general feeling surely they re not going to let this happen a Quot Diemler said that while some americans were definitely worried about what would happen to them if and Arab forces initiated an attack against iraqi troops his own opinion was that the time had come to fight a Quot i would like to see military action against Iraq to take Kuwait Back before the iraqis have a Chance to gather up american citizens and use them As he said. Quot from the iraqi troops i saw and their general Lack of discipline and motivation i think and combined forces could take Back Kuwait just about As quickly As Iraq look added that he was reluctant to criticize the . Embassy in Kuwait but that a Large number of americans Felt somewhat angry that embassy officials had waited until after the iraqi troops were virtually in Kuwait City on aug. 2 to warn citizens that an invasion was imminent. Afterwards the americans trapped in the City in Aid. Reports in which . Intelligence officials virtually bragged that they knew in Advance that the iraqi invasion was coming. Quot had they let us know a lot of people would have gotten out Quot Diemler said. Websters stars it Luck o hot o o it it la q. Sch it and stripes bookstores stars and stripes bookstores Webster s encyclopedic unabridged dictionary of the English language is a stars and stripes super Saver discount for the month of August. You la save $60 off the original value of $79.95 for one of the most comprehensive English language sources available on today s Market. Webster s encyclopedic unabridged dictionary of the English language is Only $19.95 at a stars and stripes shopping Center Bookstore near you. And you can save $25% or More do this month s selection of other super Saver hardcover titles. These include photography a fish survival manual children a bedtime stories microwave cooking aircraft of the world Watercolour instruction and More. Stop in and save with a super Saver today. You la find stars and stripes bookstores Well stocked with numerous magazines paperbacks and hardcover titles discounted for you. Customer savings in fiscal 1gg0 already total More than $1.5 million. Stars and stripes bookstores a proudly serving those serving Over Here. And stripes bookstores stars and stripes bookstores .�?iwi-v, in remt in i "1 1 11 1&Quot 4 Wui i Ali rom j Kex uitts Mia uni kill to liquid up hit Diu Wujs a it 2,0 111 spit Kurt Ufir Atli a a a x. Plus it 15 St Tululu Feu Wujtiw Kilwani Iluk. 4iu a. / a Hgt 3j Cut it o it h 3j no m a it �3 o o 7s o 33 co wednesday August 22. 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17
