European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 5, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4the stars and stripes tuesday March 5,1991in the Gulf ss4ss burning Fields silhouetted by blazing Oil Fields . Army soldiers in a Northern Kuwait watch the destruction in the distance. Iraqi forces reportedly burned the wellhead in an attempt to Block the advancing Allied troops. To believe by Sabra Chartrand the new York times Jerusalem a As most of the world watched the army savaged in a massive rout palestinians Clung stubbornly to an image of Saddam Hussein vastly different from that projected almost everywhere else. According to West Bank popular opinion the iraqi president is even now shrouded in glory a a powerful Clever Arab Leader who defied the West until he chose to withdraw his army from Kuwait a intact and Able to fight for them another Day. Even to palestinian leaders who May not believe every element of the popular Street myth Saddam has at a minimum triumphantly refocused world attention l on the israeli Arab conflict and on the imbalance be tween How the Western allies View the occupation of Kuwait and that of the West Bank and Gaza strip. Evoking Saddam a message Faisal Husseini a senior representative of the Palestine liberation organization in the West Bank said a this Region May plunge int instability after this bitter War unless the palestinian question is  in afr Malik a militant West Bank Village near a Mallah a group of palestinians escaped a driving rain one Day last week by crowding under the overhang of a rough Stone building. Israeli soldiers raided the town that morning and residents emerged after a curfew to smoke and listen to War reports blaring from a cafe radio tuned to a jordanian station. A we Are proud of Saddam for humiliating president Bush and putting hint in his place for 40 Days a said a Farmer Husni Qaq. A Saddam did hot withdraw because of the Security Council resolutions added Mohammed Namura a Day labourer a but Only to show that he can do what he wants when he wants without any  a this withdrawal is just a Clever military tactic a Shamel Hamayel said a so Saddam can keep his army his Power and his people intact a Down the Road past an army base and the turnoff to a jewish settlement lies the. Palestinian Christian Village of Taibe. In front of a primitive grocery store at a Muddy Crossroads a similar group gathered to discuss the War. A no one forced Saddam to withdraw Quot said George Thalji a merchant. A the was steadfast for two months. Then he decided on his own to leave Kuwait. A this is not a defeat a said Asa a Iouri a building contractor. A Saddam stood up to 30 countries and left Kuwait with  a student Sanad Sahlieh added a Saddam is still Strong and the decision to withdraw is just a military tactic. He could retake Kuwait in a Day if he  palestinians seized on Saddam last August As the Champion of their cause. After 43 years of failure to win a state by diplomacy political pressure War terrorism or their own uprising in the occupied territories they became desperate for a Savior. A their plight a was exacerbated by the persian Gulf War. Anticipating violent support for Saddam the israeli army slapped a Complete curfew on the 1.75 Mil lion arabs living in the West Bank and Gaza strip the Day before the War began. For weeks palestinians were unable to work shop Send their children to school or even stand outside in the Street. Only in the last few Days has the military begun gradually lifting the curfew in selected areas Dur. Ing Daylight hours and allowing a few thousand palestinians to return to work in Israel. A with the cease fire in the Gulf the army Here rescinded the state of emergency in Israel and urged israelis to return to Normal life. ,. Nevertheless the military spokesman Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai said a for the time being there is no change in our policy on the  he said the arty now feared palestinians might vent their disappointment Over the Gulf War through violence. A the curfew is still in place so there will be no disturbances no demonstrations a he added. In their despair Over their situation palestinians have frequently pursued unrealistic political goals. And for Many of them the steadfast conviction that Saddam with his huge army and vast Oil wealth would liberate Palestine was a fantasy so powerful that the facts did not seem to matter. Their View has not been altered by the graphic television reports of iraqis defeat. Even though the televised images All of them see in their Homes show just the opposite palestinians Here insist that iraqi forces still r have their weapons Armor and artillery intact. They refuse to believe Western press reports that thousands of starving iraqi soldiers surrendered happily kissing the hands of american soldiers. _ when asked to explain How iraqis defeat could be interpreted As a Victory Hamayel a 35-year-old Farmer a said a. A a a a a there is a difference Between the Way we think and the Way people think in the West. They do not understand Why we support Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein is the Only person who supports us and wants to. Help us liberate our  a r ill him desert Pis Patzke Ron Jensen lesson Learned it was an Odd place for an army officer to be. Especially one whose Job is to direct fire onto / enemy  was in a Marine command Post receiving enemy  it gives you an appreciation of what those weapons will do a he said of his Learned. A it gives you an appreciation of keeping your Hel a melon.�?�. A a a. A a a. V the tall lean army officers Demeanour seemed More suited for an English literature professor than one employed by the 1st Marine div to direct ground air and naval fire onto enemy positions ahead of the divisions push through Kuwait. Ordinarily he said he Only sees the effect of his Job on practice ranges checking the targets after the exercise. V a you really done to get an appreciation of what its like to be on the other end he said. The officer who asked that his name pot be used said last week he directed fire for the Marine Advance three Miles from the front. That a a foreign concept in the army he said which usually keeps its command Post farther Back. The soft spoken officers Job was to direct fire from Marine and Navy aircraft the Wisconsin and Missouri battleships and All of the weaponry at the divisions disposal As the marines rushed to Kuwait. A t a like others participating in operation desert storm he was surprised at the ease of Victory. The marines reached their objective of Kuwait International Airport As quickly As if they had opened the throttle on their vehicles and raced to it he said. A y a. The iraqis the officer said seemed to be test ing the americans. They would fire once. If the marines returned the fire icy gave up. He described enemy fire As the marines breached two minefields As a sporadic and  to. A a a a a a a a a my greatest fear was artillery a he said. But As a fire control officer himself he knew effective artillery fire depended on Forward observers. The iraqis had none and had themselves partly to blame. / a smoke from Oil Well fires they had set a Caret landscape turning Day into night. At noon you  see 10 feet in front of you he said. A you had to read a map with a flashlight.�?�. Any rivalry Between the army and marines disappeared after this grunts Brief stint with the leathernecks. He said they were professional prepared and practice. In a briefing last week desert storm commander Gem h. Norman Schwarzkopf called the 1st Marine div s breaching of the obstacle belts classic and said they were sure to be studied by military planners for years. _ _ / this officer agreed. A the marines were smart a he said. A they practice. J Onich stud did photographs of the minefields obstacle belts and built replicas in the de breach11 spent months practising their a everybody knew what their Job was a he said. Unce the obstacle belts were passed it was nearly a wide open run through Kuwait. Along he Way the officer saw the burned corpses of be Metal of Armor a broken Trail of the fire he had called for r>-s-khd4he a Shujo himself a i did that a he sir at any Joy 0ut of that 1 Oon t get any satisfaction from that. Of the amp a hink Soma it he i kept some of our Guys from getting