European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday february 9, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 3 in the Gulf i a. ,. A ,.>w Iran . Military officials Friday said one Mobile missile launcher in Southern Iraq was destroyed and three others in Western Iraq aimed at Israel were damaged or destroyed. \ reported Friday 2,500 sorties. Nine Bridges attacked. 13 More iraqi planes flew to Iran. One scud attack intercepted by Patriot missile total below one scud missile destroyed. Seven iraqis surrendered one Hyso a Raj civilians killed sinc Slart of War a. Reported by allies More than 54,600 sorties flown. 30 killed in action including 12 americans and 18 saudis. 24 americans non combat deaths. An additional 105 americans listed As non Coral Bat deaths i operation desert shield before War 44 missing in action including 26 americans eight British one italian and nine saudis. 12 prisoners of War including eight americans two British one italian and one kuwaiti. A a a 28 Allied planes lost 21 in combat including 14 american five British one kuwaiti and one italian. Non combat losses seven planes including five american one British and one saudi six american helicopters to non hostile causes. More than 936 iraqis taken prisoner 135 iraqi planes destroyed. A major communications Center near Baghdad was destroyed thursday and the Al Josh Oriya Bridge Over the Tigris River left partly intact a after two earlier attacks was demolished. A . Officials Friday said the persian Gulf Oil spill is 40 to 60 Miles from Juba ii not 10 Miles As had been previously reported because of a map Reading mistake by saudi authorities. Officials Friday said the Slick however has forced the saudis to close the desalination Plant at Saf Aniya. Saudi soldiers captured 28 iraqi holdouts and had one building under siege As they hunted Down iraqi stragglers in the saudi Seaside town of Khanji which was captured briefly by iraqi troops last week. A a . Patriot missile intercepted an iraqi scud aimed at the saudi capital of Riyadh Early Friday morning. Debris from the scud fell into the desert North of the City. Ills a British Royal Navy helicopter thursday blew up one of the few remaining iraqi patrol boats with a sea skua missile off the kuwaiti  Impact of Oil spill downplayed Dhahran saudi Arabia apr the giant persian Gulf Oil spill could damage copling systems and perhaps Knock out engines in vessels that would carry . Marines to the beaches of Kuwait in an amphibious assault experts say. . Military officials have publicly dismissed the military significance of the vast pools of crude spreading in the gulfs Northern Waters. V allies say most of it was dumped by Iraq presumably for tactical reasons. The biggest Marine amphibious Force since the korean War has been assembled in the Gulf for a coastal invasion that could be a key component of the anticipated ground assault to drive iraqi troops from occupied Kuwait. A marines�?wmil4-rrive�?at�?an�?offshore staging area aboard a variety of amphibious vessels which would disgorge Landing Craft Laden with men weapons and Armor for what could be a textbook Marine Landing. But this Isnit in the textbook the gulfs Northern Waters Are coated with what is believed to be the largest Oil spill in  naval experts say the Oil could damage the intakes that draw sea water to Cool ship engines clogging filters and slowing Down the operation. Capt. Braden Phillips commander of the Ogden an amphibious transport Dock said the Oil could Knock out a Cooling system and  the engine. Asked about a solution he said a you done to go into the  two Oil spills a one Iraq apparently unleashed off the kuwaiti Shore and another that May have been caused by Allied bombing of Oil installations a have been fouling the Waters for two weeks. Much of the Oil is believed to be in a Conge Aleph h Kielce Ned Shi the Mea n in i h a l some May be below the surface and emulsified with the water posing a danger to the intake valves below the surface. A a it a possible if you go through a Patch of heavily congealed Oil you could have problems a said Jack Harrald a former coast guard Captain and Oil Slick expert who teaches engineering at George Washington university.9 the Marine task Force a composed of about 17,000 marines a recently completed its fourth dress rehearsal for an amphibious assault. Lawrence Korb a former assistant Secretary of defense under president Reagan has said a Marine Landing is a risky idea because of the  number of casualties for such an operation. He said the Oil spill could be More than a time consuming nuisance it could Cost  anything that slows you Down could cause casualties a he said. But All. The experts say the Oil Slick is not dial for causing engine damage to ships. A there Are ships around Oil Slicks All the time and nothing happens a said . Coast guard it. Cmdr. Paul Milligan who is involved with efforts to Monitor and Clear up the spill re if you have to go through fit to fight a War you re going to have logo right on through  a i think it will be a tactical nuisance but you can operate around it a said Harlan Ullman an analyst for the Center for naval analysis in Washington. Ullman commanded a destroyer in the persian Gulf during the Iran Iraq War. Ullman said a Marine assault itself May Only be a Decoy to confuse Saddam Hussein a dug in troops who have Laid perhaps thousands of mines on the coast and would unleash a barrage of artillery fire at any Beach Landing. He said he believes a Marine Landing will be used As a strategic feint to draw iraqi de lenses away from troops entering Kuwait from the South. A if that a the Case the Oil would not be much of a problem. If an amphibious handing were used to Lead Tsheppe ration it could pose More of Aji Robl my he said. He said the relatively Small coast and the heavy defences do not lend themselves to an amphibious assault. A a you re limited in time and space. With an amphibious operation you want to hit them where Thev ainu to he said