European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 8, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Crisis Iii tha Gulf related stories Yihwa photos pages 2 and 3 the sewn 4 1 author Ito unofficial full Catlon Foi it a v i. Good Mornin vol. 49, no,.238 saturday december 8, 1990 she a and sunday d 8693 Christmas Homecoming by the associated press the iraqi parliament Friday overwhelmingly endorsed Saddam Hussdin a decision to free thousands of Western hostages meaning the 900 americans held captive in Iraq and Kuwait might be Home for Christmas. The More than 8,000 westerners East europeans and japanese stranded in Iraq will be allowed to leave beginning saturday iraqi officials said. The state department meanwhile said that once the americans in Kuwait have left the eight diplomats in Kuwait City a . Embassy will be withdrawn. The embassy will remain open but a staffed and the United states expects the iraqis to safeguard the empty premises the state department said. Iraq had surrounded the embassy and Cut off its supplies making the diplomats virtual prisoners and angering the Bush administration. But state department spokeswoman Matgaret Tutwiler said that once american civilians have left Kuwait the embassy a will have fulfilled its major remaining task.�?T1 Iraq said the hostages could Start applying for exit visas immediately it said they would be flown on special iraqi airways flights to Amman Jordan. In Baghdad Iraq a group of american and British hostages hugged and. Kissed each other and raised Beer see Homecoming on Back Page forces by David Tarrant. Brussels Bureau Brussels Belgium a Saddam Hussein a decision to free All hostages wont. Change . Plans to reinforce operation desert shield with More than 200,000 troops by january Secretary of. Defense Dick Cheney said Friday. 7 a we done to think Saddam Hussein deserves any Praise for having decided to release people he was holding in violation of every form of International behaviour anyway a Cheney said following a meeting of nato defense ministers. A a a Cheney ruled out any change in . Policy until there is Complete compliance with , resolutions calling for Depar Ture of iraqi forces from Kuwait and the restoration of the kuwaiti government. A this is an Effort by the United states and the United nations and a great Many other countries All Over the Globe to make it abundantly Clear to Saddam Hussein that aggression does not pay and he will not be permitted to profit from the outrageous act that he committed last aug. 2 and  Cheney said he was confident a that should a decision be made to undertake offensive military action to implement the . Security resolutions that we will have sufficient forces to do the Job a he asked the allies for additional sea lift and Airlift resources to help transport troops and equipment to the persian Gulf As Well As additional heavy combat units a i did not make specific requests from specific countries but rather expressed a general appreciation for everything they be done to Date but said we obviously would like to have More if they can give More a Cheney said. The Middle East crisis was not the Only subject on the ministers Agenda. In their final communique the ministers said that collective Security still is necessary As a counterbalance to residual soviet military might and because of instabilities in Eastern Europe and emerging threats in the Middle East and North Africa. Nato defense ministers agreed in principle on a Post cold War defense strategy of reduced . Presence in eur. Rope smaller forces and a continued mix of conventional and nuclear arms. A your  will be based on smaller More Mobile and flexible Active forces Able to respond to aggression from any Quarter a the ministers said in a communique. They said the persian Gulf crisis served As an example of a continuing risks of aggression from outside nato territory that have a bearing on the vital Security interests of the allies. The nato allies pledged to maintain military and other pressures to Force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. The Gulf crisis a presents a fundamental Challenge to the vision of a peaceful world order a the a ministers said the communique said a draft Resolution on natos future was discussed during see Cheney on Back Page for mall m for morale air Force chaplain maj Wally Vaughn and other military chaplains in Vaughn of Sumter s.c., wears a Santa the Gulf have been renamed a morale of Claus hat Friday As be bands out mall of leers to keep their presence Low key in to troops at a base in saudi Arabia. Islamic saudi Arabia. A a a. By Luke Britt staff writer the army has postponed the May withdrawal of eight battalions from Germany because of the massive movement of . Forces from Europe to operation desert shield a military spokesman said Friday. The deadline for the second phase of the withdrawal was moved from May i to sometime in july said Jim Boyle a spokesman for . Army Europe the delay affects four battalions in v corps and four in Vii corps. At least two of the affected units will be sent to de Sert shield said a col. Dick Bridges a spokesman for v corps in Frankfurt Germany. But officials said they could not identify those units. As added support for the operation some members of the 23 units scheduled to go to the states by March 1 have been assigned to desert shield units Boyle said. But the remaining members of the units will continue to pack for the trip Home he said. R Boyle and Bridges could not Rule out further delays in the withdrawals. A there Are several factors that could affect How we com plete the draw Down Quot Bridges said a a not the least $ which is How Long these units remain in saudi Arabia Quot the withdrawal plan is being disrupted by president Bush a decision to boost  forces in saudi Arabia to More than 400,000. The additional troops Are designed to give the United states a a sufficient offensive Quot punch to push Iraq from Kuwait officials have said. As part of this buildup Germany based units Are sending thousands of soldiers and weapons to the desert. These units include the 1st army div the 3rd. See with0rawal8 on Back Pago