European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 15, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 28 a a the stars and stripes tuesday january 15,1991iran hints it May join sides with Iraq Nicosia Cyprus apr an iranian daily suggested monday that Tehran could abandon its neutrality and Side with Iraq Iran a foe in the 1980-88 War if hostilities erupt in the Gulf the islamic Republic news Agency reported. The Agency monitored in Nicosia quoted the arabic language Kayhan Al Arabi As saying a the islamic Republic will never remain Neutral when any Muslim people Are riddled by oppression and it May quite possibly come up with an appropriate the iranian government frequently leaks policies it intends to implement through editorials in the state run newspapers. Iran has the most powerful military in the Region after Iraq with which it fought an eight year War in the past decade. The iranians share a Border with Iraq along which they have planned Large scale Maneu vers. The exercises will coincide with today a . Security Council deadline demanding Baghdad relinquish Kuwait or face possible attack. The Maneu vers will include Iran a powerful ground forces equipped with newly obtained soviet built Sa-6 anti aircraft missiles and air Force units equipped with advanced Mig-29 fighters. A High ranking iraqi delegation led by the vice chairman of the ruling revolutionary command Council was in Tehran last week for talks with iranian leaders. Iranian newspapers said the iraqis had solicited iranian help in their standoff against the .-led, 28-nation coalition massed in saudi Arabia. Kayhan said Iran did a not want War but when muslims should fall victim to a crusaders War we will stand at their iranian president Hashemi a Sfanjani considered a pragmatist whose main focus is rebuilding the country a War battered Economy has said Iran would remain Neutral in a War. But rats Anjanie a staunchly anti american Radical rivals want him to forget past differences with Iraq and join forces with Baghdad to confront the United states in the has condemned iraqis occupation of Kuwait but also has denounced the . Military presence in the Region. Ever since iraqi president Saddam Hussein made peace with Iraq on aug. 15 to focus on the standoff Over Kuwait Tehran has been softening its stance to Ward Baghdad. Kayhan said a muslims share the same destiny despite their it added that a in the current developments lofty islamic interests and not other concerns must be viewed As the basis for the behaviour of muslims. Humiliating the United states and destroying Israel Are Cornerstones of Iran s islamic revolution. Asked How Iran would react if Israel became involved in the fighting Iran a Deputy foreign minister Mahmoud Vaezi said that a it would be too difficult for him to predict a Irna said. The saudi arabian daily Al Medina reported last month that Iraq had proposed a military Alliance with Iran which a Sfanjani had Page 1 Ocean City my. A i think this is the time for Saddam Hussein to be apprehensive. Now we can use Force. Now the Surprise is on our spec. William Hampton 22, of Tampa fla., was headed Home to Stuttgart Germany along with other members of his unit in the 1st inf div the a big red although his tour of duty in the service ended two months ago Hampton was required to stay on because of the crisis in the Gulf. He said he was glad to be leaving. A. A a a personally i done to want to fight this War a he said. A a lot of people want that combat Patch. In be done my four years and was ready to get out and they said go to saudi Arabia. If they said a you have to go a id go. But personally i done to want to fight this Hampton whose unit had been unloading ships said he had met soldiers from a lot of different . Combat units. He said most of them were excited about participating in operation desert shield and had very High morale. A a a. A civilians across saudi Arabia were preparing for a conflict. Air raid sirens sounded sunday m the saudi capital of Riyadh and Gas masks went on Sale at the civil defense directorate in the City the Arab news reported. The newspaper said citizens were warned that air raid sirens would be sounded in Case of an emergency to Alert the population to take precautionary measures such As using Gas masks drawing the curtains Over their windows Ana taking shelter. At the Dhahran International hotel in Eastern saudi Arabia hotel workers wearing Blue hard hats held an air raid Drill evacuating the residents and employees to a basement cafeteria. A hotel air raid shelter marshal shouted a Gas Gas Gas a to Alert residents to Don their Gas masks. Assistant shelter marshal Sedl Maier an assistant pastry chef said it was the fourth time the hotel had conducted an air raid Drill and that a things Are getting better All the but British defense consultant Philip Congdon who was hired by the hotel to prepare for emergencies was not so Happy with the showing because not enough people brought their Gas a some people Are still coming unprepared for this Drill a he said. A they treat it As a game and its not a Page 1. Reasons to be optimistic. I done to see any reason to have real Hope a the . Leader said in Paris after meeting with president Francois Mitterrand. Perez de Cuellari a meeting with Saddam in Iraq had been considered the last Best Chance to avoid an attack on iraqi forces by the multinational Force assembled after Iraq seized Kuwait on aug. 2. President Bush on sunday called iraqis apparent intention to keep troops in Kuwait beyond today a deadline a a tremendous across the world prayers and anti War protests grew More passionate. In Gulf nations residents stocked up on provisions and sealed windows and doors to protect against Poison Gas attacks. Some people sought Gas masks others hunted for a flight out. Fearing an iraqi attack Israel on monday called up More reserves Ana said its army was on heightened Alert. War jitters drove Oil prices up More than $4 a barrel to $30.25 in London. The Price of a barrel of Light Sweet crude Oil on the new York mercantile Exchange a More than j410 $32 before settling Back slightly. The Gulf crisis drove Down Stock prices. On London a Stock Exchange the financial times Stock Exchange 100-share Index was Down 25.6 Points at 2,080.5 at midday. Nikkei Stock average of 225 selected issues lost 27.79 Points or 0.12 percent closing at 23,213.23. In Baghdad members of iraqis National Assembly shouted that they were willing to Back Saddam a with our blood our souls. We Are ready to sacrifice for the Assembly has voted to give Saddam full authority Over the Gulf crisis a. A a we declare Here and now that we Are ready to sacrifice everything for the cause of Palestine. Palestine should be liberated and rights of palestinians restored a Assembly speaker Saadi Mehdi Saleh said. A a last minute initiative is now up to the americans because they Are the ones now raising the slogan of War a Saddam said sunday. After meeting with Mitterrand Perez de Cuellar said a the Hope that i had is already he then flew to new York where he told reporters a it is perhaps too late to embark on anything european Community foreign ministers held an emergency meeting monday in Brussels Belgium and decided not to launch another peace initiative. But in Paris there were reports president Chad i Bend Edid of Algeria was about to embark on a peace Mission. Diplomatic sources said it was rumoured he might go to Iraq or saudi Arabia. In Yemen the official Media said president Ali Abdullah Saleh on monday outlined a plan aimed at resolving the crisis. The Media quoted Saleh As telling legislators the plan envisages an iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait deployment of Arab and International forces in disputed Border areas and the departure of the multinational Force. A the americans have accepted the proposal and suggested it be submitted to the iraqis a Saleh was quoted As saying. Sources in Yemen said the yemeni prime minister was in Baghdad to assess iraqi reaction to the proposal. There was no confirmation of the yemeni claim of american support. Saddam has suggested a peaceful settlement in the Gulf could be linked to a Middle East peace conference that addresses the palestinians demands for an Independent state. Bush has rejected such plans. Perez de Cuellar said he did not raise the Issue of a Middle East conference with Saddam. He said Saddam a never mentioned the word withdrawal or if he mentioned the word it was not in the sense of being prepared to last week the Senate voted 52-47 and the House 250-183 to authorize using Force against Iraq after the . Deadline. Sen. Sam Nunn an opponent of the Resolution monday said the Chance for peace a does no to look he said the debate was Over and a a it a time to rally behind the forces in the field.�?�. In saudi Arabia on monday a senior�?T. Air Force commander said . And Allied fighter jets could win an air War in 48 hours if Saddam puts iraqis 700 warplanes into combat. Gaining air superiority a depends a lot on what he does a said the air Force operational commander who spoke on condition of anonymity. A if he puts All aircraft airborne in two Days it la be air Power is considered crucial in any Allied move against Iraq. Fighter jets from the United states Britain France saudi Arabia and Kuwait have been train ing to wipe out enemy aircraft and destroy enemy air defences so the army can Advance on the from Page 1 Schwarzkopf the . Field commander in the Gulf who cautioned that fighting could last for up to six months. President Bush who has stressed that Kuwait will not become another Vietnam said he hoped a it would be Over in a few Days but what happens realistically is hard to what is certain is that the War would Start with Savage air strikes against missile Sites and airfields in Hopes of preventing counterattacks against saudi Arabia or Israel followed by a Blanket bombardment of Supply and communications lines to isolate iraqis troops in Kuwait. Kuwait is 500 Miles from Supply bases in Baghdad said retired adm. Thomas Moorer former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff a and there is no to Chi Minh Trail in Iraq nowhere for trucks to without a dependable Supply line such As North Vietnam had during the Vietnam War iraqi forces in Kuwait also under heavy air assault would a deteriorate rapidly a Moorer said. Retired army col. Harry Summers an analyst with the army War College said this first phase which might last a week or two would be a very violent and very iraqis air defences Are formidable Summers said and a a we re going to see american pilots paraded Down the streets of Baghdad.�?�. The House armed services committee chairman Wisconsin Democrat Les Aspin quoted military officials As saying 70 to 80 american and Allied planes would be shot Down in just the initial a stage of attacks against targets inside Iraq. It is possible that Saddam would Call it quits there recognizing his forces Are helpless before America s deadly air Power. Far More Likely however is that ground forces would have to move against the 540,000 deeply entrenched iraqi troops in Kuwait and Southern Iraq and it is Here that the real carnage begins. A. Aspin predicted that the americans facing a battered and demoralized foe would suffer about 1,000 deaths in a Short Campaign although other experts put the a a death toll far higher. Retired adm. Gene la Rocque director of the Center for defense information and an outspoken opponent of . Military action in the Gulf told Congress there would be 10,000 . Deaths in a six month War with Iraq. The morale of iraqi troops is a big unknown in estimating now Long War would last. Saddam a army held together during the 1980-88 War with Iran which killed up to 1 million people on both sides. This time however the iraqis would be Short of supplies facing an enemy with vastly Superior weapons and defending not their Homeland but the key Point is How Battle weary they Are and what the True morale of the iraqi Side is a said retired four Star Gen. Jack n. Merritt the president of the association of the United states army
