European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 7, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars anti stripes Friday december 7,1990 ,111 m a to in i Imus ii i. A Quot a a of a a writers respond to letter on Gulf crisis. A recent writer is concerned about our reason for being in the Middle East. He argues that we Are Only there because of our desire to commute inexpensively. He also Points out the hypocrisy involved in our backing an Oil Rich country like Kuwait and ignoring other countries who have faced similar plights. First of All there is More involved in this crisis than cheap Oil Saddam Hussein in one military action has taken control of Over 20 percent of the world s Oil Supply. This is an incredible amount of economic Power under the hands of one dictator of questionable morals. His expanding military strength including his attempts to obtain nuclear capability makes him a danger to surrounding governments. I agree that we sometimes support one government differently than another. There is no Clear right or wrong to this support though. Each country will look out for its own welfare and interests. Our interest As t see it is in preventing Saddam from controlling the worlds Oil Supply and thereby influencing decisions made by other world leaders. We also want to Stop his military expansion into saudi Arabia or other countries which would further increase. His Power and disrupt the already fragile balance of Power in the Middle East. Therefore we Are maintaining our presence in the Gulf for More than keeping our cars and boats running. In fact whatever dangers we face now May be insignificant compared to the War Saddam could and most Likely would unleash later. A tech. Sgt. David Villarreal operation desert shield a first of All Monrovia is not a country in Africa its the capital City of Liberia a West african nation ruled by a military dictator for 10 years until his death in a recent civil War. / a secondly when the United states invaded Panama there was world condemnation. Granted it Wasny to a charge like the one against Iraq but Many countries protested operation just cause not just Sovi it allies but also some of our Long time friends. Whatever the underlying reasons May be we re in the military and have been sent to protect american interests and help our allies who just May be Rich monarchs. A a a a a it a a a a a. A. A. 1 a a. 7-tech. Sgt. Dale Warrian a v operation desert shield. One cannot ask the first question without also asking questions like if Iraq did not Jess ass such great Oil wealth would it still be Able to finance a huge defense Force by other Means what could happen if Saddam Hussein decided not to Stop at Kuwait but press on and seek Power Over other lands to not the Middle East the worlds most strategically important land in terms of militarily key terrain Commerce and cultural division what is More sacred to arabs in the Middle East loyalty to their state or loyalty to the Arab nation what Are Saddam a intentions and does he Haye the capability to carry them out it those Are just a few of the Many aspects of this crisis one should not boil Down . Involvement to one question. Furthermore one should not attempt crude comparisons of the iraqi invasion and the . Response with other world events of recent past y y. It is farcical to expect the United states to respond militarily to every conflict in the world it has neither the Money troops or Public support to do so. However when the threat to world order is so great the United states can and will respond. The United states is certainly a superpower of the world. We have the responsibility and capabilities to promote International stability. Simply note the test 45 ears in Europe. Let us fulfil those responsibilities and be a Leader in this Effort. If we Only worry about our National problems of poverty drugs and crime which nation will take the Lead in suppressing Iraq the answer is no one. The world looks to the United states for leadership. This is no time to subscribe to the idea of isolationism. V --2nd la Edwin v. Allen t a a Berlin. Y a. A american foreign policy is consistently plagued by. Righteous Cdo goobers forcing our culture values and political system on others we have to understand that other countries and cultures have different values and 7&Quot a .-7�?. A the invasion of Kuwait was by a country with an oppressive dictator who has the largest standing army in the Region and has employed weapons of mass destruction in recent years. With the Arab nations unable to intercede on behalf of Kuwait the International Community stepped in with a multinational Force. This is not Over just Oil but the principle that a Sovereign nation has been invaded by the military Force of a ruthless internal i tonal thug. Saddam Hussein has calculated risk possibly to test the resolve of the International Cornu the historical parallels Between Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler Are made calculated risks to occupy foreign territory. We know what the results of ignoring Adolf Hitler were. Today we have the Chance to prevent the same conflagration which engulfed the world 50 years ago. I fwd done to we could possibly be up against a nuclear armed Saddam Hussein. Kuwait with its monarchy was never a threat to anyone. Today Iraq is both an economic and military threat to everyone. Kirk d. Smith Aschaffenbur Germany. There was no world condemnation of the . Intervention in Panama because it proved no threat to other countries and was generally welcomed by panamanian citizens. Clearly iraqis invasion of Kuwait was not welcomed and threatens other countries in the Region. A Roger d. Delft Ramstein a Germany �?�., does a Promise mean nothing we made a Promise to Kuwait Panama and saudi Arabia to help defend their Freedom a a Panama was not Over Gas or Oil. It was for the people of Panama. But it is easier to place a blame like this on the Middle East people need help and you make a Promise to them then you should be human enough to be there for them. Remember action is a lot louder than words. A senior airman Jerry i Waters in Ciurlik Turkey you asked the question if neither Iraq nor Kuwait held any economic importance on the world scene would we be there if you answer yes you support the idea of the right for free and Independent nations to stay free and Independent. Yes Kuwait is a monarchy and not a democratic society but the monarchy was put in place by the people and also to the Day of the invasion supported by the people. That fact makes this. Monarchy in a Way a democracy. 7 yes Oil is part of Why we Are there. Hitler said a i will Stop after did he Saddam Hussein said he would Stop after Kuwait. Do you really believe that. Panama was not in any Way the same As Kuwait. We went in extracted a drug dealer and left a freely elected government in his place. 7 yes we do have problems in the United states but we Are not going to get any closer to solutions on those problems by ignoring the rest of the world. A a Bruce Howard 7 a 7 r y. A a. Raf Alconbury England y a. The kingdom of saudi Arabia requested our pre sense against their beliefs to protect their country from invasion. Just because a country does no to prac time our form of government does no to mean that its communist or a dictatorship. Kuwait has a monarchist government was prosperous and extended freedoms of Quot democracy to its people. Saddam Hussein a dictator who oppresses his people invaded Kuwait and claimed it As his own. It would be like Canada invading Vermont and claiming it As part of Canada. A sgt. Go. Lange operation desert we made a pledge to a make the world Safe for democracy a but we can to help everyone in the world atone time so we Start with the largest threat. I too would rather pay $2 a gallon for Gas rather than have thousands of soldiers die including myself. Put if you think about it that a where the people of America made their mistake v the United states gets a very Small percentage of its Oil from Iraq and Kuwait and yet the United states has hundreds of Oil rigs not in use and Oil in storage that we Don t use. So instead of people arguing about Why we Are Here they should be arguing with the Oil and Gas companies about their prices because they Are just using the Gulf crisis As an excuse to raise the Price of Gas. The last thing we need is the american people Espe Dally the soldiers thinking we Are Here for the wrong reasons like Vietnam it a Quot a Kevin Haapoja .7, v operation desert shield ,. J would like to address the current Gulf crisis from a Point of View that Many marines share with Mel a Here in the trenches where the boys live. In a not in some air conditioned office planning a War ill never participate in nor am 1 on a speedboat spouting empty threats that ill never have to enforce. I hear what goes on. I can to believe that we Are Here this is a crisis we have no place in. It is a Middle East problem let the Middle East solve it if we fee that something must be done we could have prodded Israel into action Israel would never let Iraq develop nuclear weapons they have More sense than that and have already proven this Point with the bombing of an iraqi nuclear Plant several cars 320 a. A a a a a a a this is purely a financial crisis brought about by the Creed of Saddam Hussein and we Are Here for financial reasons not out of concern for our third world a Al pics. ,. A. A a to be Blunt i do not believe in our Mission i do not believe in or Trust our government i am Here be. Cause i am a Patriot. I believe in the american people. But risking american lives Here is insane. Weve already lost lives and not a shot has been fired i cannot believe that Bush would be willing to make one wife a widow or to leave one child fatherless Over something As stupid As. If it was an Issue of America being physically threatened i would not even question it. I m discouraged not cowardly. Hasni tour government Learned anything from Vietnam it was a pointless War we had no business being involved in and we re about to make the same mistake All Over again. A name withheld operation desert shield. The United states is not the Only country involved. Saddam Hussein a actions have generated unilateral response from All Over the world he must be stopped and held accountable for his actions. Most of All a Servic member does not have to agree with the policy set or the reasons behind it. He has to carry it out. It is stated in your enlistment contract that your enlistment is More than an employment agreement. Quot As a member of the armed forces of the United states of America a you will be a required upon order to serve in combat or other hazardous and most important the . Marines Are Mot gone from Liberia the 22d Meu Marine expeditionary unit was on station from Early june until relieved by elements of the 26th Meu in August. The Dock tending ship Whitbey Island and tank Landing ship Barnstable county collectively called contingency a gtd Marine air ground task Force 390, have been on Mamba station for 60 Days and counting. We have provided logistical and Security support for the american embassy we have also been conducting noncombatant evacuation operations since our arrival. To Date contingency a gtd 3-90 has. Successfully evacuated 65 american citizens and 633 foreign nationals. Together with the 22nd Meu a total of 197 american citizens and 2,149 foreign nationals have been evacuated. Xv7. 7 v7 friends and family write us and often wonder Why we Are never mentioned Tii the news we done to know we figure everyone is thinking like or. Caviar a the marines Are Quot 7 7a marines and sailors of contingency a gtd 3-90 operation Sharp Edge Liberia y 7defending the saudi Oil Fields May be the current Mission of desert shield but the Oil just helps justify the amount of Money being spent for it. The reason we have troops there is because a United nations member has just been annexed by the armed aggression of a fascist dictator and America is about the Only nation on Earth with the courage strength and integrity to do some thing about that. A a .7 777 a we All know that iraqi storm troopers have been Gas sing babies and Bay netting pregnant women in kuwaiti maternity wards. That a the real reason we re in saudi Arabia everything else is just an intellectual rationalization for it. 7 a sgt. James Scribner -77.7,_� 7y 77 a _ _ operation desert shield. The writer compared the civil War in Liberia which he referred to As a a Monrovia with the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq he must then either believe that the invasion of Kuwait was planned and executed by kuwaiti a Freedom fighters Quot aided by patriotic and selfless iraqi troops seeking to overthrow a dictatorial regime or that Liberia is being invaded by some neighbouring �.7 country. A.7 a a 7.there is a Clear difference Between activities of forces within the boundaries of a single country and the outright aggressive invasion of one Sovereign nation by another a 7. ,. 1 strongly support the stand we have made in saudi Arabia and would be proud to serve there f am willing to pay any Price to resist aggression. Further believe that our policy is one which serves world interest history has ample examples which illustrate the continued on Page 11
