European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday october 26, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page Iraq hostages elated to be Back Home new York apr five american men freed by Iraq for medical reasons Are Back in the United states where one of them a Marine raised a Toast to president Bush to a keep up the Good  another hostage was welcomed by his wife who flew in from Texas despite his urgings to save the air fare. A the told me not to spend any Money but Money a not important at a time like this a Cheryl Graham said. Her husband Lloyd Graham was among 14 . Hostages and 32 British captives freed by Iraq. Five of the americans arrived at Kennedy Airport aboard a Royal jordanian airlines flight wednesday night. The nine other americans stayed in London wednesday night and were expected to Fly to the United states on thursday. A a in a very elated to be at Home a Graham said. A the Celebration wont Start until All our friends and colleagues can come Home  those released were freed because either they or family members have serious medical conditions. Graham 48, of Houston suffers from arteriosclerosis and has undergone two quadruple bypass surgeries. Free hostage Jack Frazier 53, of Santa Ana calif., said he was doing construction work in Iraq when Saddam Hussein a forces invaded Kuwait in August. He said americans being held in Baghdad could move around a very discreetly and were allowed to go out daily to buy food. The men had been staying in diplomatic a Safe houses in Iraq arranged by the . Embassy. Leaving his fellow hostages behind a was the hardest thing in be Ever done in my life a Frazier said. The family of one Man toasted his Safe arrival with Champagne. The Man identified As Marine sgt. Mark Ward of Middletown n.j., attached to the . Embassy in Iraq praised the president for his handling of the persian Gulf crisis. A George keep up the Good work a he said. The hostages release came after a meeting sunday Between Saddam and members of the Washington based Amer ican iraqi foundation. Marine sgt. Mark Ward gets a Champagne Welcome from his Mother Joan War experts weigh potential Pitfalls of air strike by Eric Schmitt new York times Washington a an american led air strike against Iraq a the Pentagon a favored strategy if War starts a would be a Complex operation risking thousands of civilian casualties and causing billions of dollars in property damage defense department officials and military analysts say. Military commanders Are pondering an array of strategic options a from pinpoint laser guided missile strikes to widespread carpet bombing a aimed at destroying scores of iraqi military and Industrial targets and ultimately forcing iraqi troops to withdraw from Kuwait. Anthony Cordesman a specialist in military forces in the Middle East said Iraq could suffer property losses exceeding $200 billion depending on the scope of the american Aerial Battle plan. Civilian casualties could exceed several thousand depending on the Type of attack. But military analysts said a punishing air strike coordinated with ground and naval attacks would be fraught with potential political Pitfalls including the collapse of the fragile International coalition aligned against Iraq. Balancing the search for diplomatic solutions against the Steep costs of War a which some analysts say could mean 10,000 to 20,000 american casualties including 15 percent killed a has been a constant exercise for Bush administration officials in mapping out a persian Gulf strategy. The risk of political fallout hinges partly on the Speed and Success of the United states in winning its immediate goal of driving iraqi troops out of Kuwait and partly on the More nebulous and difficult Challenge of forging longer term Security goals for the Region. In the Short term a Quick successful air assault coupled with a ground attack that pushed iraqi forces from Kuwait would Likely win Praise from most quarters. A perception is we re winning the fallout is minimal a said Jay Kosminsky Deputy director of defense policy studies at the heritage foundation a conservative research Institute Here. But if heavy bombing raids on military and Industrial targets in Iraq and Kuwait failed to Budge iraqi forces or did so Only with High casualties a the political consequences would be horrible a said Barry m. Blechman a military expert at the Henry l. Stimson Center a research organization in Washington. At worst Blechman said a prolonged costly War could split the fragile International coalition and a forever radicalize the Arab world pressuring those Arab governments who went in with us. Military officials agree. A if Arab nations Are involved an a tac a that would mitigate any backlash against the United states a a former senior ranking air Force general said. A if its perceived As a pure american attack there a greater potential for backlash against the United states in the Arab  while military commanders would probably avoid bombing densely populated areas analysts said that in a heavy strike there is no guarantee against civilian Cas destination saudi deserts amps Gus Schuttlor work Crews of the 8th combat equipment co Load m1a1 Abrams tanks onto flatbed rail cars at hide ordnance Barracks in Kaiserslautern Germany. The tanks which arc on their Way to operation desert shield in saudi Arabia were in storage at the Barracks. Salties. A military analyst who follows the air Power Issue closely said a if Vout re using mass raids you can to assume everything will be delivered on precise  Pentagon officials and military analysts say that while air Power alone is not enough to Force Iraq to withdraw its troops from Kuwait superiority in the skies is essential to the military operations Overall Success. With american and Allied troops outnumbered on the ground a and unlikely Ever to achieve the 3-to-l advantage military analysts say is needed to win a pure ground War a a strategic Aerial bombardment carried out in a carefully synchronized series of destructive raids remains the most effective military option. Military leaders say the lessons of Vietnam a and the failed policy of gradually escalating forces a All but Promise a heavy . Strike from the Start if War Breaks out. With major technological advances in the last two decades air warfare is More reliant on sophisticated military hardware and software than Ever before. Much of that technology remains untested under Battle conditions. Armed with surveillance planes that can detect enemy aircraft hundreds of Miles away with High Preci Sion air to ground missiles and bombs and with More versatile fighter planes military analysts say the american air attack is tar More potent than the Aerial weaponry the United states used Over the Jungles of Southeast Asia. It is difficult to predict exactly How a War in the persian Gulf might Start. But once it did Pentagon officials and military analysts said american and Allied air forces would immediately seek to gain air superiority by knocking out iraqi air defense systems including anti aircraft missiles and destroying Many of iraqis 550 warplanes at their bases before they could retaliate. With air defences crippled Waves of american and Allied attack planes including full fighter bombers with television guided and laser guided missiles and stealth fighters with Gravity and guided bombs could attack targets like runways control towers and fuel and ammunition depots using cratering bombs to tear up airfields. Other planes would strike factories producing nuclear chemical and biological weapons Oil refineries electrical Power plants and other Sites in an attempt to break the iraqis will to fight and to cripple their future War making abilities