European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday november 30,1990 the stars and stripes a Page 3crisis in the Zullow demands pullout from despotic area Washington apr the National organization for women on tuesday called for the immediate withdrawal of . Troops from the persian Gulf saying the a oppressive regimes of saudi Arabia and Kuwait Are not Worth the sacrifice of american  the organization in its first Public stand on the Gulf crisis condemned saudi Arabia and Kuwait for human rights violations against women and protested the treatment of american servicewomen in the Region. A saudi Arabia and Kuwait Are despotic clan run monarchies a said now president Molly Yard. A both. Systematically oppress women. This is gender apartheid in its purest most brutal form and should deeply offend All  Yard also objected to the restrictions imposed on military women serving in saudi Arabia. A we would be outraged if the administration sent american troops to defend South Africa from invasion ordering Black soldiers to a respect the culture by bowing their Heads in the presence of White racists a she said. Now complained female soldiers in saudi Arabia must dress in full fatigues while male soldiers Are allowed to sport to shirts in the desert heat. Military women Are not allowed to drive while off duty or run errands unescorted and must Wear knee length shorts while swimming a even in private pools. Rep. Pat Schroeder a senior member of the armed services committee agreed that the United states applies double standards toward saudi Arabia. A we do not tolerate a cultural differences As an excuse for racial violence a said Schroeder a Colo. A Why do we tolerate it for women a Powell responds to Issue of Black casualties in Gulf by the Washington Post Washington a Gen. Colin l. Powell chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said tuesday he is annoyed by criticism that Blacks would take heavy casualties in a persian Gulf War because they Are disproportionately represented in the military. A if one out of four roughly one out of five is Black if the whole Force accepts casualties what would you wish me to do a he said in an interview. A move the Blacks from the positions they re in so that they will have a lower percentage of casualties every part of the Force whether its hispanic americans Pacific americans or lower income White soldiers will probably sustain casualties in relationship to the percentage that they represent in the Overall Force. A what you keep wanting me to say is that this is disproportionate or wrong. I done to think its disproportionate or wrong. I think its a Choice the american people made when they said have a Volunteer army and allow those who want to serve to  a this is not a question to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff a said Powell. A this is a question to the american  in a nation that is about 13 percent Black Blacks constitute 20 percent of the military and 30 percent of the army. Of the army personnel sent to the Gulf As of mid november nearly 29 percent were Black according to Powell a office. While some Blacks View these numbers with alarm Powell who is Black said he is a proud of the fact that african americans have seen fit to Volunteer to join the armed forces even if it is a higher percentage in the armed forces than their general representation in the population. Blacks and other recruits sign up for service for the same reasons Powell did As a youth the general said. A they come in for education. They come in for adventure. They come in to better themselves. They come in to serve a period of time and then get out and use the benefits we have provided them to go to College or get some kind of vocational  Powell noted that earlier this year before Iraq invaded Kuwait and operation desert shield was born he was under pressure from Blacks who were concerned that the then planned restructuring and downsizing of the military would squeeze out opportunities for Blacks. Now the military is being criticized for having a High representation of Blacks. A is it unfair to allow americans who wish to join the army or the Navy the air Force or Marine corps because that a their Choice a Powell asked. A if it were unfair a and i done to accept that a the Only Way to Correct that unfairness would be for somebody to instruct me to set a limit a i wont say quota a on the number of Blacks allowed to enlist. A the armed forces have always provided opportunities for Blacks which Blacks have found attractive and have gone after and i see no reason to change that now a Powell said. Powell speculated that of the troops now in the desert in saudi Arabia Black White or whatever a maybe they did no to want to go to desert  a nobody wanted to go to desert shield and maybe they were hoping that in the time of their service they would not be called. But disappointed As they May be that the Prospect of combat is Here they understand their obligation. An army exists fundamentally to fight a he said. A do they want to come Home you betcha. Do i want to bring them Home you betcha. But there a a Job to do right now and that a what the american people have paid for a Force to be used if necessary not to just sit around and eat up the taxpayers  comes easily a before reality hits by James Gerstenzang and Richard e. Meyer los Angeles times a principal Way station for . Troops ended for saudi Arabia is the . Air ase at Torrejon Spain just outside a rid. A Mammoth hangar has been turned Ito a bunkhouse with Row upon Row of to where service members can catch me rest while their transports Are reeled for the second leg of the Long Jour by to the desert. Each unit that has passed through the or base has left a calling card taped to the a All of the hangar a sketch of the units Signia and its motto. The troops have used their own comments a mixture of adolescent threats and Macho promises. A reach out and touch someone a and 11  3rd in 502nd inf regt. A Christmas in Panama. Summer Vaca Ion in  co a 307th engr in. Door gunners from hell if it walks it tails it  cob 2nd in 502nd inf vegt. A night stalkers death Waits in the Ark. 160th aviation regt. The one you never  415th tac fighter so. A. Nou Kinfu a fun you re a sadist. If of kill for Money you re a mercenary. If us kill for both you re a . Paratroop a to a no Osth airborne regt. The Young authors of such bravado Ere less than 24 hours from Home. With Han weeks their perspective would  the saudi kuwaiti Border the Solars of the 101st air assault dives 3rd brigade were sweating it out one recent by in their two Man Foxholes encircled sandbags and enshrouded in Camou age netting. They faced thousands of rach tanks with Only a handful of thin exercising the m1 a soldiers from the army a 24th inf div the barrel of an my tank. The unit was Mech Greet a saudi government offi conducting live fire exercises with their Cial while the officials aide stares Down Abrams tanks wednesday. Skinned troop transports to protect them. Their Job was to provide Early warning of an enemy Advance. They Felt naked in the Sand. A if the iraqis come this Way i m going that Way a one private said. Their Days dragged on first through the remorseless heat now through the cold their meals were res or meals ready to eat their recreation was calisthenic and card games. Why Are we Here they wondered 8,000 Miles from Home aliens in an alien land a everyone kind of thinks we re Over Here getting ready to fight through All this just so everybody Back in the states can save a few cents on a gallon of Gas a said Cpl. Steven Richter a 21-year-old team Leader from Sioux Falls . Not that he was complaining. This was his Job he said these were his orders. But no matter How much the politicians and diplomats and generals spoke of the principle of the thing Richter said most of the troops Felt sure they knew what the squabble was about. And it made them uncomfortable. A almost every conversation a Richter said a goes like this what a the use of losing thousands of lives All for the Sake of the Price of Oil a perhaps the greatest concern of military commanders in the nether zone Between War and peace is maintaining troop morale. Videotapes scorpion fights letters from Home religious services and rough housing go Only so far to dispel the tedium and the terror. White House and Pentagon officials conceded Early in november that sinking morale in the persian Gulf Region was one of the chief considerations driving Bush administration policy a a major Factor behind the decision to virtually double the fighting Force in the Region. A a it a Tough to keep troops. Out there in the desert with literally nothing to do a a senior White House policy maker said. In addition he said a this is a very heterogeneous coalition of More than two dozen nations arrayed against iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein. It wont stay together forever he said. A longer term concern is expressed by an army colonel who advises the service leadership on future plans. He worries that whether the Gulf crisis ends in conflagration or Compromise the army a image and its future will suffer. A How Many kids will join the army to be a tank gunner after this a he said. A kids done to enlist for the Joy of being a Soldier. They done to understand what soldiering is until they get