European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday january 17, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 3crisis in the Gull a a . May emerge As Victor in War but loser in peace by Caryle Murphy Washington Post Riyadh saudi Arabia a in waging War to Force Iraq from Kuwait the United states risks entering a period of extreme danger in its relations with the Arab and moslem worlds that could turn a . Military Victory into political adversity Arab and Western analysts say. A. A a a a. A. A a a a a Quot a a a a a a a a the risks include immediate attacks on . Facilities and citizens through terrorism and violent demonstrations As Well As greater instability in the Middle East Over the longer term because of popular revolts an increase in islamic fundamentalist influence and sabotage aimed at Arab states that joined the United states in the conflict. The extent of damage to .-Arab relations would depend on several factors the analysts said. These in elude the length of the War the number of casualties the duration of any . Occupation of iraqi territory following Battle and the degree to which iraqis military capabilities Are destroyed. The anti-. Backlash also would be greatly influenced by postwar developments including How Iraq was treated after defeat the role of the United states in regional Security arrangements and most important . Handling of the palestinian Issue after the crisis the officials added. A a Short War will arouse emotions to fever pitch arid the effect will be cathartic and will not be lasting a said a Western envoy in Riyadh. A a Long grinding War which takes a Large number of casualties would have a More fundamental and lasting Impact. Then i think you have beyond the Gulf Region a More fundamental Long term poisoning of . Relations with these a a a a. A Many senior military and political officials in Egypt and saudi Arabia display Confidence that a Rosier scenario would prevail. In their a Best cases scenario a War to free Kuwait would be Short deaths would be few and the iraqi military would crumble into mass surrender leaving it a ready made Core on which to rebuild iraqis conventional military capability minus its chemical weapons and nuclear program. If so they said the political fallout for the United states would be far less Bleak. And Many Gulf arabs said fears of hostile Arab reaction Are exaggerated. A people Are putting too much Stock in the Arab world boiling a said one saudi official. A what Are you going to do let Iraq stay in Kuwait because you Are afraid of the consequences you have no a Short Low casualty conflict that left Iraq tamed but intact could pave the Way for the moderate Arab states of the persian Gulf and Egypt to exert greater influence in Intra Arab affairs a Gulf based Western Diplomat added. Their influence a would be greatly strengthened and the essential irrelevance of the poorer. Countries will be illustrated a he said. But a .-led War that resulted in Iraq s military evisceration and a High toll in civilian deaths and injuries would be widely seen by arabs As an attempt by the United states to tip the regional balance of Power decisively in favor of Israel and the moderate Arab allies risk being seen even by their own populations As accomplices in this and in permitting an american a double standards toward israeli occupied Arab lands is. Iraqi occupied Kuwait Arab analysts said. The Only Way to Blunt this these analysts said is for the United states to move quickly to reach a political solution to the israeli palestinian conflict based on what it has touted As the rules of a a new International a broken Iraq also could Lead to popular uprisings that Force governments to take a More anti american line or Challenge current rulers some analysts said. Syrians for example Are extremely ambivalent about their governments decision to Send troops to the .-led multinational Force gathered in saudi Arabia and Are deeply concerned about participating in the destruction of another Arab country. Former Arab league official Jamil Matar predicts that even in Egypt the Strong popular support for president Hosni Mubarak a anti Iraq stand a will Wither away if there is a Long bloody War that devastates Iraq. A this would leave Israel the Only superpower in the area and it will be difficult to make people Swallow that fact no matter How much they hate iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein a Matar said. Such perceptions also could fuel islamic fundamentalism a particularly Strong fear in Jordan where islamist have become a significant bloc in parliament and More recently the Cabinet. A if Iraq is destroyed a said one senior adviser to the Royal court a we believe islamic fundamentalists will find it easy to speak to the masses and convince them that the americans have done a great destruction in the Arab islamic world. Then we feel the interests of the West As Well As the interests of people who Are not fundamentalists will be a doonesbury spoof of saudis dropped in error paper says Paris apr a caustic instalment of the comic strip doonesbury that referred to retreating saudi soldiers As a Speed bumps was dropped from wednesdays edition of the International Herald Tribune. The newspapers chief editor said the episode mocking. Saudi and american involvement in the persian Gulf was dropped by mistake. A however an episode to appear next week could get the Hatchet. A we done to mind wednesdays strip a executive editor John Vinocur said. A but one strip next week makes what is possibly libellous comment about saudi military volunteers and draftees. We done to want to publish anything defamatory.�?�. A he said the paper several issues of which have been banned from saudi Arabia recently had not decided. Whether to print that cartoon. Wednesdays doonesbury also poked fun at the British egyptians bangladeshis and japanese. Vinocur said wednesdays doonesbury would appear in thursdays edition of the paper. Although the cartoon by Garry Trudeau is scathingly satirical about Why the american led multinational Force is in the Gulf it ran in wednesdays stars and stripes. A some 70,000 issues of the Germany based european stars and stripes Are sent to the Gulf daily for distribution among military personnel there editor Bernard Zovi Stos isaid. A we try to be especially sensitive to our entire audience and at the same time to give that audience what it would routinely expect to find in the Way of regular features a Zovistoski a civilian said. The strip also was published in the Pacific stars and stripes whose editorial Headquarters is in Tokyo. A Trudeau is an editorialist and an excellent editorial is a Vinocur said. A but i done to think you can say something defamatory and not True especially in he said next weeks strip questions whether there Are in fact any saudi military volunteers but he declined to give further details. A i remain concerned about that strip and we will attempt to establish the nature of saudi volunteers a he said. The International Herald Tribune has been kept out of saudi Arabia about five times in the past month Over what saudi authorities considered sensitive or offensive contents Vinocur said. Saudi Arabia strictly observes islamic customs and the presence of american and other Western troops there is an extremely sensitive Issue. In wednesdays doonesbury episode american soldiers . And Ray Are talking about the . Authorization of Force against a Well if there is ground action today Man the saudi troops la catch it a . A a done to count on it Ray. You know what they say done to fire at the first arabs you see a be retreating saudis. He Calls them a Speed they re not interested in defending their country Man. They be hired the brits and us to do it for them just be they got the egyptians to pump their Oil and bangladeshi to haul their garbage. We Onder who get to clean up the desert when w Ere Quot. Ray a Well the japanese should be �iesib3r3llll a a a a a. \. A .wtv.v.vo. Dispatches is v a. L. Kominicki like i said it s crazy editors note the following dispatch from saudi Arabia was written wednesday by . Kominicki the stars and stripes assistant City editor in charge of the Middle East Bureau As a note to his colleagues in it Ermany a daily situation report from Down Here. A Peculiar bit of insanity this waiting Foi War business. It is something i truly cannot grasp with anything like conventional logic. How can this be happening is this really happening 1 really can to get a grip on the emotions required Here. Except maybe one As a family Man it embarrasses me that i miss this for the world. Like 1 said crazy. The House is As ready As it Likely Ever will be. We be taped the windows to prevent Hying shards of Glass stockpiled water food chem gear. We travel in pairs search the cars before driving off and have scouted out the nearest bomb shelters and hospitals. We huddle around the to and radio news with the same intensity the British must have Felt in lri40, still we Are incredulous. Stocking up on canned food the other Day we just could t bring ourselves to buy the amounts wed decided we d need if this area gets hit none of us wants to have to sit in a powerless House eating Smarty Brand creamed Corn i guess. It seems too pathetic. .hopes.lost, War Only option a today Sarab news opines to Ward off the slight tightening of the sphincter that comes with each news report a sort of Good old boy bravado around Here. There is much swapping of army and journalism stories open belching and scratching and the slight scent of dirty socks. A like Hunting Camp Only without the guns or Beer a somebody said. And i guess a prevailing sense of inferiority since everything we do seems to get measured by one of us against the Guys on the lines. Getting tired of having to boil water for Coffee butt head yeah Well you could be up with the troops remember that. Most of us would be if Public affairs rules allowed it. Maybe the tension makes people hungrier than usual. We be been going through some serious groceries Down Here. Feeding eight growing boys is a Challenge that tests even my culinary expertise. 1 feel less like a chef and More like a mess sergeant with each passing meal. For tonight in some unspoken Celebration of. What we All feel is certain attack i guess we be procured a major piece of Irish beef. Hell we May even have some of the creamed Corn. Have someone drink some wine for us. A red St. Emilion please. A 1983 or earlier. Another thought Tough to master that we May get hit by chemical attack. I was impressed with the saudis in the area in the last few Days How Calm they appeared How stoically True to their islamic fatalism. Of course this proved to be the Calm that comes with knowing that you plan to leave for Jidida on the Day before the deadline 2,000 Kilometres away and near enough to the holy mosques that an attack is not a possibility. Those who plan to stay must feel pretty much like us. We be got masks and filters and pills and atropine injectors litmus papers and charcoal zoot suits and just can to get comfortable with the idea of having to Ever use any of it. Its certainly outside my experience. Weighing More heavily is the question of whether ill Ever be Able to get All that stuff on in time. It seems like an enormous amount of rubber to jump into in nine seconds. The alternative a doing tire snaking Bacon from a dose of nerve Gas a convinces me that i la be Able to handle the suiting up with several seconds to spare. The new York times reports today that Saddam a missiles have had to be altered to reach As far As Dhah ran. That Means less payload capability and less accuracy. To hit this area he will surely Load them with chemicals and use them As weapons of terror. Comforting Bunch those folks in new York. Beginning tonight we re All sleeping in our clothes ready to run away or jump into our chem suits. Arts is running a contest on desert 107 radio Down Here Call in with your suggested usage of the Oatmeal cookie found in mrs. It Isnit the army theme contest but they re having fun with it. The Rains have stopped but it remains Cool. In the 40s, id guess. There a a weak Sun in a pure Blue sky. Good living weather. A
