European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 30, 1990 the stars and stripes crisis in the Gulf a a a Page 3 desert shield Pentagon doubles estimate through end of september Washington apr operation desert shield will Cost an estimated $2,5 billion through the end of september a nearly double the earlier estimate of $1,3 billion the Pentagon said tuesday. The sharply higher costs Are attributed to the expense of the Reserve and Nat Ion Al guard Call up increased operations Tor ships and aircraft and higher fuel costs spokesman Pete Williams said other factors include increases in the number of c-130 aircraft and aircraft Carrier Battle groups deployed in the persian Gulf Region Williams said. Quot the Cost estimate includes $1,13 billion for the army $494 million for the Navy $556 million for the air Force $20 million for defense agencies and $300 million for increased fuel prices. Reporting on its Reserve Call up the Pentagon said that by the end of the month it will have activated 14,129 people in hundreds of army air Force Navy and coast guard units across the country. The total includes a air Force 7,386, including 616 from air Force Reserve units 386 from the air National guard and 6,384 air Force reservists who weren to formally activated but who volunteered for duty in the Gulf crisis. A Navy 2,236 sailors from 12-7 units who will of activated by months end. A army 4,236 soldiers activated so far including 542 National guard members from 19 units and 3,694 army reservists from 34 units. A coast guard 271. The Pentagon said additional expenses include the Cost of calling up reservists up to a total of 48,200, the Cost of the Call up the operations of the Reserve forces and their subsistence is estimated at $347 million through september it said. It pegged at $175 million the Cost incurred from speeding up the Airlift and from increased ship use. The Pentagon said that the number of deployed earner Battle groups in the area of the arabian Peninsula will increase to three from l /2. The Pentagon also said the 51 c-130 transport planes in use in the Cansis will More than double to 112 aircraft by the end of september. Deployment of . Forces is proving costly the Pentagon said / a eight fast sea lift sl-7 ships with Crews and equipment $34 million. A sixteen Roll on Roll off ships and 20 cargo ships moved out of the ready Reserve Fleet to Active operations $95 million. A. A the use of commercial and govern mint cargo aircraft $484 million. A the deploying of two Navy pre positioned ships for aviation logistics support $9 million. Rolling into Gulf crisis an my Abrams tank backs onto a transport truck in saudi Arabia on tuesday. The mis the United states newest generation of main Belttle tanks Are from the 24th inf div a one time costs at various military installations to prepare units for deployment $135 million. The Pentagon said two Hospital ships had been equipped and deployed for $10 million. It has also spent $30 million for Mech of fort Stewart ca., and were shipped by sea for operation desert shield. They Are the first mis to arrive during the persian Gulf crisis sparked by iraqis invasion of Kuwait. R medical supplies and $85 million for chemical protective clothing camouflage uniforms nets and chemical resistant paint. Support for water equipment sanitation supplies and other consumables has Cost $250 million it said. Iraq has built up troops around Kuwait . Says Washington apr iraqi troop a length in and near Kuwait has increased to 265,000 soldiers supported by larger numbers of tanks and artillery the Pentagon said tuesday. A a there a been a general trend in the past several Days of these numbers increasing said Pete Williams the defense department spokesman. Last week after conferring with president Bush at his vacation Home in Kennebunkport Maine Secretary of defense Dick Cheney said there were from 160,000 to 200,000 troops in Kuwait and Southern Iraq together with an estimated 1,000 tanks. It had been estimated there were some 170,000 iraqi soldiers inside Kuwait alone. Williams declining to be precise on the exact locations of All iraqi forces said the Pentagon now estimates there Are 150,000 troops in Kuwait and an additional 115,000 in a areas contiguous to Iraq. The United states now estimates that Iraq has 1,500 tanks 1,200 other armoured vehicles and 800 artillery pieces m the area he said. A the number of troops in Iraq and contiguous areas has gone up Quot he said. J responding to  added it  describe it As less threatening. The tact of the matter is that there Are More forces in the contiguous areas than there were before. But Williams declined to elaborate on ins meaning of the w Ord a contiguous which generally is defined As applying to areas that Tou a upon each  touches on a Neutral area to its West and has a Southern Border with saudi Arabia. Williams underscored that Iraq ceased to respect its Border with Kuwait after it invaded and occupied the Oil Rich Sheik Dom on aug. And declared it had been annexed iraqi troops now move freely Back and Forth across the Border he said. Troops who want to whoop it up May have to leave strict Dhahran saudi Arabia up1 a . Personnel will probably spend their free arabian a gets outside the saudi kingdom if operation desert shield continues for Long since the United states is wary of igniting anti american sentiment and knows that East does not meet West in Many ways. The Pentagon has so far stepped cautiously and mostly kept its forces segregated from the local population it Hopes to defuse the potential culture dash produced by planting thousands of Young Western men and women within a conservative islamic society. The sensitive policy is obviously mindful of minimizing any allure of Impi president Saddam Hussein s Callior All moslem to stage a holy War against Western Powers which he claims Are trying to dominate the Region. Saudi officials say Radical fundamentalist groups who in 1979 occupied the mosque in Mecca a islam s holiest Citadel a have mostly been tamed. They see no threat of adherence to Saddam Scall which was curly an attempt to foment Domestic dissent within Arab governments rallied against him. The officials believe the potential for Strong anti americanism in saudi Arabia is minimal. This is mostly because Saddam has Little credibility after invading the Tel Low Arab nation of Kuwait and has tried to exploit islam to serve his socialist baathist ideology.,. Army maj. Gen. William Pagonis said the Issue of rest and recreation is mostly conceptual because troops Are Busy preparing for potential Battle against Iraq a right now there is no scheduled time off in saudi Arabia a he said. A we Are Here on a  morale appears to be High among the . Forces but it will Likely decrease if they Are left for Long periods in the Bleak desert regions living on packaged rations and continuously training in temperatures mat exceed 110  the warm political links Between the armed states and saudi Arabia Many troops said they sense a social and cultural Gulf Between them and the saudis. Some believe saudi Arabia has forbidden them from using desert Sand for sandbags because All ground is holy and has forced the Pentagon to buy filler trom abroad. The Rumor is unsubstantiated but indicates mistrust. I tried to Trade two pieces of gum with a saudi for a Coke a said a Marine Corporal named Ira from Huntsville Ala. A the said he wanted some gum. I said i wanted a coca cola. Then he said a five dollars and i said a forget it a Quot the most glaring cultural differences have been confronted by us. Servicewomen who have been ordered to respect islamic codes that demand a More subservient role for women. Minor differences have Arisen but apparently no eruptions have occurred. Most . Personnel have accepted the cultural barriers and accept that their periods of work Leisure and possibly fighting will be spent out of sight and mind of most saudis. �?o1 thought it would be some kind of steamy scene in saudi Arabia but the heat has killed any sense of Romance a said a Captain named Holly 28, irom Connecticut. A and if you met someone you liked where would you go7�?� j americans relationship with saudi Arabia is a deep Long standing affair that began with the arrival of . Oil companies in the 1930s. But despite economic intimacy saudi Arabia Naa an equivocal diplomatic stance preferring not to Side with the United Stales too closely in Politica forums because it did not want to appear As aligned against other Arab Powers. The poorer Arab nations have often resented the Oil riches of the persian Gull states. However King fahd a agreement to station troops on his nations soil following the aug. Invasion of Kuwait spelled an end to the saudi hedging. A that reluctance we had in the past is not there anymore Quot a senior saudi intelligence official said. A we recognize the sensitivities on both sides Ana let us not forget that for Many years the american Public has  to deploying troops overseas. But the official said he did net wish . Personnel to have a a part m the kingdom they have been sent to defend.  i thin they will have to Lake it somewhere else somewhere other than saudi Arabia Quot he said. A ave Are determined that no misunderstanding will arise