European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 06, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 6, 1991 the stars and Stripe crisis in the Gulf 7 u a. Won t be ready till february report says Jerusalem apr the United states will not go to War against Iraq before mid february an israeli newspaper said Friday citing As its source . Officials talks with israeli diplomats. The daily Haartz said senior officials told the israelis that president Bush needs that time to Send More forces to saudi Arabia and to win congressional backing for Lutr. It did not identify the officials or diplomats. Aides to prime minister Yitzhak Shamir and foreign ministry spokesman Zeev Dover refused comment on the report. The . Security Council has approved use of Force against Iraq if it does t withdraw from Kuwait by Jan. 15. Missouri sailors Battle fire aboard Gulf Tanker Manama Bahrain apr a firefighting Crew from the battleship Missouri helped extinguish a fire Friday aboard a saudi arabian Tanker in the Gulf. The Missouri received a distress signal from the 23,61.8-ton Tanker Tabuk about 1 p.m., said Navy capt. Gean b. Atkinson. He said he merchant ship reported flames in the engine room and on the deck. By the time the Missouri team reached the Tabuk by boat the Tanker Crew had extinguished the engine fire he said the Missouri team helped put out the deck fire. He said the battleship dispatched a three member firefighting team and provided the Tabuk with a portable fire extinguishing  because the saudi tankers  had failed. A. No injuries were reported. The Navy team stayed aboard to help the Crew assess damage Atkinson said. A civilian tug was in route to provide assistance he added. The Tabuk was sailing off the emirate of Ajman at the Southern Edge of the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz. The cause of the fires was not known. The Missouri is one of 55 american warships currently deployed to operation desert shield. Us direct to Germany use designated phones Washington a amps a troops using at amp to us direct service from saudi Arabia to Germany must use specially designated Tele. Phones. J a company spokesman said some Calls have not been completed when they were placed from phones other than those designated As Usa direct telephones she said. Us direct phones have been installed at 1,000 front line locations. Callers using at amp to calling cards can dial 1-800-100 to reach an operator in the United states who  them to Germany.,.calls to the United Stales can be placed using the same number at any at amp to phone the spokeswoman said. 300 kuwaitis in states to work with . Army Washington a amps a about 300 kuwaiti students studying in colleges in the a a cited states have volunteered to act As linguists for the american military in saudi Arabia the Pentagon announced Friday. A _ the students have been inducted into the kuwaiti army and will report to the . Army at fort Dix n.j., for orientation before being attached on Jan. 15 to american units supporting operation desert shield the Pentagon memo said. The kuwaiti government will pay All costs for the equipment and transportation of the new soldiers. The former students speak fluent English and also have a Basic understanding of the iraqi dialect. The Pentagon said. Fitness test for reporters makes old timers sit up by Ernes t b. I i  Baltimore Sun Washington a How Manv sit  could Ernie Pyle do could Hal Boyle run two Miles in. Is a minutes orm and time at All a would Mark Watson Larry Allen Ira Waltert Homer Bigart Keves Beech Quot Maggie Higgins Pat Morin Don Whitehead Mai Browne Dave i Halberstam Pete Arnett or Bill Tuohy have dropped to the deck and done 40 Quick push  at the request of an army Public relations officer almost 50 years ago Pyle and Boyle Weie two of the a Best known americans anywhere when they covered gis fighting world War 11. They and the others won the pulitzer prize for reporting this country a last three Wais. Pyle was a Skinny Little runt. Boyle was big and red laced. Watson was 57 when he won the prize for ins commentary reporting in the Baltimore Sun. Knowing most of them i would say no More than three of the 14 reporters above could have met the physical tests an army colonel thinks correspondents should pass to go up tint with . Troops in their next War somewhere near Kuwait and Iraq. A. When As couple of old Heads around the office started trying to imagine the reaction of people like big Ait of Beech Bill Lawrence or plus Potter Mart Pony or Charlie Mohr to such an idea it took  an hour to Stop giggling. When i asked information of slicers at the i Pentagon about if i politely tried to contain myself and they tried to convince me the test Wasny to really a requirement although that a exactly what reports trom saudi Arabia called it. -. When armies sit around too Long with nobody to Light they like to make up rules. In saudi Arabia  Mulvey head of the . Joint information Bureau got to talking with the correspondents who arc obliged to sit around without a War to cover a and in saudi Arabia without even a Beer to drink. In this dangerous combi--., nation of circumstances somebody ventured that if there is War reporters would have to be in Good condition to keep up with front line troops. This lit a bulb in Mulvey s mind. He had been an infantry lieutenant in Vietnam. Why should join a lists be in at least As Good shape As infantry troops he sent Back to Washington for the physical require. Ments All soldiers allegedly Are required to meet.-. To  Good War correspondent by these standards would mean getting a Grade of 60 on three tests deter mined by age reporters trom 17 to 21 , if any would have to do 42 push . 57 sit  and run two Miles in 15 minutes Anil 54 seconds. Those 52  would have to do a Mere 16 push  26 sit  and two Miles in 20 minutes. Women would face modified standards. ,. A. Apparently an . Test is considered irrelevant bulletin my Pentagon source advises that six report ers have passed the test a the Best performances were 81 push  96 sit  and .l5niil.es in 12.59. The run was Cut from two Miles to 1.5 As a special Concession to the press. How Many other reporters tried and failed our source could hot say. First it. Charles Llo Kinson jr., an army Public relations officer assists can correspondent Chistiano amanpour with straps for a Gas mask bag. Some editors have protested the w Hole Eye use As a threat to press Freedom because it sets up the. Aimy As judge of who should and   War. I me any accredited reporter no matter How Many push  he or she can do would still he free to  the hotel and go to Hunting but the Niihau in is planning Cai Lully chaperoned poofs to cover the a lighting and is using the test As a was of preparing con Espriu legit -. Loi Liis duty. Tire Pool system of designating a Small manageable group to witness an event on condition that they make their reports available to All is a. Way of avoiding mob scenes and providing logistical help toi the Piess. 11 also is a form of. Prior  which Tulve military does not control what pm respondents Vii Ile but what they Are allowed to see. In Vietnam correspondents moved Lickly whenever they could hitch a Rule and reported what they saw More often than not they emphasis Edthe Good Over the bad in Quot proportion to their numbers they had a High casualty rate. Friction Between press and military is As old As the nation at Best we can Hope that whatever happens m flip Gulf will ease it rather than make it worse. 11 we Aie Lucky the push  sit  Story will he remembered not As a great first , Quot As a comic routine that helped relieve tension.during., the Days w Hen Boh mope Wasny to around. A a i no on Active duty in Washington a amps a Active duty Rolls jumped 5,887 in november reflecting the a Stop loss a policies that keep desert shield service members in uniform beyond their separation dates. Monthly Pentagon statistics indicate there were 2.052,245 people on Active duty about 72,000 less than at the same time a year ago. The figures do not include the 97,000 reset lists called to Active duty in operation desert shield. The air Force was the Only service to continue trimming its Active duty Rolls in november dropping 1,204 people for a total of 531,916. Arnov end strength Rose in november by 6,315 people to 742.soo. The Navy and Marine corps added 587 and a 189 people respectively. Navy strength was 679,901 while the Marine corps was at 107,628, All the services except the Marine corps remain Well under their fiscal 1000 ceilings authorized by Congress. The Marine corps exceeded the limit by 803 people. Lire service i supposed to reduce its. Manpower Levels to 103,735 during the current fiscal year which ends sept.0, 1001. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney has the authority to exceed  mandated end strengths by 1 percent this year in the interest of National Security. That would amount to about 20.000 service members. Some officials have said it May be necessary to ask Congress to relax the. Military personnel reduction schedule that was approved by lord desert shield began