European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 8, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page. 2 m a a a the stars and stripes tuesday january 8,1991 Mmith canadians in \ crisis in the Gull Gas masks ing to about 3,500 citizens by Joseph Owen Middle East Bureau a Al Khobiar saudi Arabia Canada plans to distribute Gas masks to citizens in Bahrain Qatar and parts of saudi Arabia. A.  a a a we re going to Contact each individual Canadian by letter to inform him a said Ron Bollman an embassy Counselor in Riyadh saudi Arabia. A a we re not certain that distribution can be fully undertaken this  a. A a a a a Quot a. The dead line set by the . Security Council for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait or face military action is Jan. 15. Associate defense minister Mary Collins announced the Gas mask program sunday in Riyadh during a visit to the embassy. A a a a. A. About 3,500 canadians live in the affected saudi areas Bollman said. More than 2,000 of them Are in Riyadh most of them working for the Canadian govern ment King valid Hospital or King Faisal Hospital. An additional 1,000 live in the Eastern province the chief Oil producing Region. A a v. A a a a Quot a the Canadian external affairs ministry has set up a office at la Gulf me Ridden hotel in Al Khobiar a persian Gulf coastal City to pass out masks and information to Canadian citizens in the Eastern province and to help them with vac nation plans. A government travel advisory recommends that canadians stay out of Bahrain Qatar Kuwait Iraq Jordan the Eastern province and Central Region of saudi Arabia. A a unless there a a Good reason to be Here you  be Here a said Wayne mgt House an embassy Counselor who set up the Khobiar office. The United states has no plans to Issue masks to its citizens living in the same areas a . Embassy spokesman ii Riyadh said. A a we spend All Day answering phone Calls a the spokesman said referring to inquiries about Gas masks. He said such decisions Are made by Washington officials who apparently done to feel there is sufficient  the United states has issued a travel advisory however suggesting that dependents of american workers leave the area voluntarily. Some . Companies in saudi Arabia Are supplying employees with masks the spokesman said.  defense officials still Are collecting data in preparation for Gas mask distribution in the Eastern province according to one saudi safety officer. The Canadian embassy plans to use the existing a Warden system to Supply masks and information. Each Warden is a Canadian citizen charged with getting in touch with several other canadians in the same area of the country to pass on vital information House said. A a it works fairly . If the wardens Are still in the country a House said. A we feel most of them  about 200 to 250 canadians live in Bahrain and Qatar said Robert Mason a Counselor at the embassy in Manama Bahrain. He said his government Hopes to ass out the masks there As soon As Possi be but finding All the canadians in the two tiny nations May prove difficult. A your numbers keep changing every Day because people Are leaving or arriving a Mason said. He could not say whether the number has declined sharply since Iraq invaded Kuwait last August. A it is quite difficult to say because a lot of people did no to Register with us for  the masks will be flown to the Region by the Canadian forces said army it. Col. Ralph Coleman. The 1,700 Canadian troops enforcing the . Trade embargo against Iraq Are equipped with masks and chemical protective suits Coleman  encounters a amps Randy Pruitt laundry Day in the desert is a Community affair As these . Soldiers know. They re unloading a laundry truck just off a main Highway in Eastern saudi Arabia. In fact not having to Wash your own clothes is one of the few advantages of a limited water Supply. But then again too much starch May be among the , Soldier die from saudi traffic accidents in Eastern saudi Arabia a two More . Military personnel have died As a result of traffic accidents in saudi Arabia the . Central come said monday. A Soldier died at Lan Stuhl army regional medical Center in Germany where he was evacuated after suffering severe Burns in an army tractor trailer Accident dec. 22, the command said. 1 in an incident sunday night one Marine was killed and three others injured in a head on traffic Accident in northeastern saudi Arabia. The deaths bring to 96 the number of americans who have died in operation desert shield and related activities. The Soldier who died in Germany was assigned to the 100th engr co 30th engr in 20th engr brigade the command  Marine who died from the 1st combat engr in was travelling in a rented vehicle when he struck a five ton Marine truck. Three injured marines from the 5th in 11th Marine arty regt were evacuated to a nearby Hospital. It was not Clear from the statement How Many marines were in each vehicle. A. A. The Accident was under investigation the command said a a a a a. A. Names of the victims of both accidents were withheld until notification of relatives.. Embassy in Baghdad Iraq apr the . Embassy began destroying the last of its files monday and a foreign missions warned their citizens to prepare to flee by dangerous land routes if Iraq closes its airspace diplomats and witnesses said. Western and asian diplomats said president Saddam Hussein apparently does not hold much Hope that wednesdays meeting in Switzerland Between foreign minister Tariq Aziz and Secretary of state James bake will Avert War. A the Way the things Are moving Here it appears that Saddam is convinced that Iraq will be attacked a one asian Diplomat said. A there is no sign of a rapprochement. Like the ., Iraq is also maintaining a hard line approach.�?�. A we Are reviewing our status on a Day to Day basis with the state department a said charge do affaires Joseph Wilson the highest ranking american Diplomat still in Baghdad. Ltd a Quot on monday the embassy  All remaining files witnesses said. Embassy officials were seen feeding papers from stacks of files into two shredding machines. The iraqi health ministry meanwhile ordered the country a 225 hospitals to keep Only critical cases beginning monday doctors in Baghdad said they were told to be ready a from now on Quot to receive War casualties. The orders came just a week before the Jan. 15 . Security Council deadline for Iraq to get out of Kuwait or face a Quot possible military strike. The state run Baghdad observer newspaper called president Bush a a narrow minded and blinkered Dracula a and said Iraq will not hesitate to use a any weapons if attacked. A to put it ,.one can say that Iraq will use All weapons at its a disposal and at a right time to keep the aggressors away a the English language newspaper which reflects the thinking of the government said in an  has previously threatened to use its huge stocks of chemical weaponry in any hostilities. The weapons Are banned by International convention. Iraqi aviation sources sunday said the country a airspace might be closed to nonmilitary traffic beginning thursday if the Baker Aziz talks fail. A on monday several diplomatic missions told their citizens to be prepared to travel out by land. Iraq operates Only one bight a Day connecting Baghdad with Amman Jordan. There Are nine land routes that link Baghdad with Jordan Syria saudi Arabia Turkey and Iran. But iraqi Laws require that non Arab residents including foreign diplomats living in Baghdad give a weeks notice to the government if they plan to travel beyond 25 Miles outside the iraqi capital. A this is a Law the iraqis follow very strictly a said Wilson one of six . Diplomats still at the embassy. Quot the land routes that connect Baghdad with neighbouring countries run through some of the most difficult iraqi terrain. A it is not like crossing a country a  a 9 Europe. Here it is much More difficult and sometimes dangerous a a Western Diplomat said. A a desperate iraqi Soldier with a machine to kill in his hand can be Verv