European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Crisis in the Gulf see pages 2, 3, 4, 13 and 28 the  authorized u official up buc at Ion f or to e  forces Good morn Ilgi vol. 49, no. 275 wednesday january 16, 1991 a a 0�nly vh1 sum1.iy d 8693 Iraq spurns 1 Ith hour pleas Bush expected to decide sooner rather than later by the associated press diplomats appealed to Iraq to relent As the final hours ticked toward the United nations Midnight deadline tuesday for a pullout from Kuwait. The Baghdad gov emment rebuffed the pleas however and vowed that the a Furnace of hello awaited America and its allies. France said its last minute initiative to avoid War in the Gulf had failed. A there is a fatal moment where one must act a French Premier Michel Ricard told lawmakers tuesday night. A this moment has alas arrived a after we have done everything to avoid  president Bush huddled with National Security advisers tuesday and is a ready to make the Tough decisions that could Lead to a persian Gulf War the White House said. White House spokesman Marlin Fitz water said a decision on launching an attack against Iraq is Likely to come a sooner rather than later after the . Deadline passes. A i would say that the president is at peace with himself. He a ready to make the Tough decisions ahead that Are Nec Essary a Fitzwater said. A i think he a reflective and Resolute and i would say that he a confident in the correctness of our course and the strength of our  late monday Bush signed a congressional Resolution a passed Over the weekend a authorizing him to use military Force to drive iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. In Baghdad thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in a government orchestrated show of Defiance. A the holy War is about to begin a said one Man waving his ak-47 Rifle. Iraqis army daily Al had Dissia said of Bush a let him know that the Furnace of hell will be open to the americans and to their allies when they  but Many iraqis fled the capital where the deadline of Midnight Eastern Standard time expires at 8 . Local time wednesday. Shops were closed and Parks and playgrounds were deserted. Iraqis air Force commander was quoted tuesday As saying pilots trained for Sui see spurns on Back Page second phase of draw Down put on hold Heidelberg Germany a amps a army officials in Europe have postponed indefinitely the planned july pullout of eight battalions from Germany an army spokesman said tuesday. . Army in Europe officials have a temporarily suspended the second phase of troop withdrawals in order to assess the Impact of participation in operation desert shield said . Army Europe spokesman capt. Dee Jepson. The second phase battalions originally were to leave Germany by May 1. After announcement of usage  a Large scale deployment to the persian Gulf leaders pushed the May withdrawal Date to july. Units that had been named for phase 2 Are 547th engr in of Darmstadt 1st in 18th Field arty of Augsburg 6th in 6th inf of Bamberg. 3rd in 8th Armor of Hanau 1st in 15th inf of Kitzinger 4th in 34th Armor of Mainz 4th in 16th inf regt of Goppinger and 5th in 3rd Field arty of Giessen. Plans for withdrawal of phase los 23 units by March have not be affected although some members of those units were sent to desert shield units. Airman 1st class Reginald Alorton awaits deployment at a saudi arabian air base tuesday after arriving with his unit the 31st services so from Homestead fab l la. Pentagon braces for word go As Iraq beefs up front lines Washington apr the . Military moved into combat preparedness As Iraq continued to build its forces along a front of expected conflict the defense department said tuesday. A the department of defense is ready to execute any order we receive from the president a defense department spokesman Pete Williams said. A i guess i could say As a general matter we Are taking prudent actions., we Are giving due consideration to the current climate in that area and we be taken appropriate defensive measures in anticipating the impending deadline of the . Security Council Resolution a Wil Ham said. After tuesday president Bush has the authority Given by the . Security Council to Force iraqi troops from Kuwait which they overran aug. 2, ,. Williams added however that Quot i can to get into specific readiness conditions. I can to talk about specific Securi Seo Pentagon on Back Page 2 top Arafat aides assassinated Tunis Tunisia apr police arrested several palestinians tuesday after a renegade bodyguard linked to terrorist Abu Nidal assassinated two top aides to Plo Leader Yasser Arafat. A senior palestinian commander said the gunman was a former member of Abu Nidal a terrorist Plo faction sworn enemies of Arafat. But a we still Dpn to know who he a working for a said the co Menander who spoke on condition of anonymity. A the May also be working for the  Israel emphatically denied involvement. The gunman used an ak-47 assault Rifle to kill Salah Khalaf Arafat a second in command and Hayel Abdel Hamid the Palestine liberation organizations Security chief at Abdel Hamidas House outside Tunis late monday police said. V he also killed Abu Mohammed Al Omari Khalas chief bodyguard and held Abdel Hamidas Wile and teen age daughter hostage for six hours the Plo commander said. Khalas death left Arafat As the sole survivor among the three founders of Fatah the first Plo group and its largest faction. Khalaf was behind the massacre of 11 israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich olympics. The assailant Hamza Abu Zid demanded a plane to Fly to an unspecified destination before Plo guerrillas see Arafat on Back Page