European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday March 11, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 5 in the Gulf kuwaiti scheme met mixed result bribes helped save lives not Oil Fields by Mark Fritz the associated press Ahmadi Kuwait a they made friends with the iraqis plying them with Cash food and televisions so the invaders would not destroy the Well oiled machine that made Kuwait fabulously  iraqi soldiers rolled into Kuwait the people who ran the Oil Industry say they tried to protect the nations wealth by cajoling bribing and pretending to go along with their conquerors. In terms of lives saved they believe the approach worked. In terms of protecting the Industry it failed. Days before the allies launched their land assault iraqi soldiers began detonating explosives that had been Laid at the Wells Back in August. About 800 of the emirate s 1,000 Wells were damaged and hundreds still Burn out of control destroying 3 to 4 million barrels of crude Oil a Day. A we tried to organize the resistance in a civil manner a said Ali Al Laban i budget chief for the kuwaiti Oil co., adding that the Oil infrastructure is 85 percent destroyed. A we had hoped the destruction would not be As much. A we feel angry. We feel sorry. We did our Best. The magnitude of the destruction is  pillars of fire burst from the Sand like giant blow torches just a few Hundred Yards from Ahmadi Headquarters of the National Oil company nestled in the vast Burgan Oil Field. It is Home to thousands of workers members of a pampered self contained subculture devoted to kuwaiti Oil. Hundreds of americans and other westerners were among its residents. A this was like living in Oklahoma a a said drilling supervisor Paul King an american from Purcel okla., who has lived Here for nine years. A we had schools stores everything you could ask for a he said. A you never had to lock your doors around Here. I got three children and two of them think they re  King who took his family on vacation just 12 hours before the aug. 2 invasion was among several westerners who returned to their ransacked Homes last week As kuwaiti Oil began the process of putting the nations livelihood Back together. For those who stayed mostly kuwaitis putting out the fires and repairing the damage is another chapter of the Nightmare that began aug. 2. Immediately after the invasion Oil officials activated an emergency plan designed to keep production at a minimum to Supply the country with Petroleum and natural Gas. X s it s t sit Wirt \ a destroyed iraqi tank rests against a backdrop of smoke and fire coming from kuwaiti Oil Wells set ablaze by Iraq. A the iraqis came in and they found us managing the company a Al Laban i said a we stayed but we tried to be a hindrance to them. A in the first Days when the iraqis came in i went to speak to them. I said a look Guys this is a work Camp. We Are not armed do not harm  he said iraqis Republican guard a most immediately began planting mines and explosives at the Wells and stole much of the equipment and records. 7 Oil production plunged from 1.5 million barrels daily to about 100,000, he said although the iraqis tried to increase it at one Point and even brought in some of their own people to work the Fields r although there was Little direct resistance one Oil official who asked not to be named said he and others would drive into Kuwait City about 40 Miles to the North to run Down Lone iraqi soldiers with their cars. A they say after october or november however such incidents abated because of increasingly a vicious indiscriminate responses by the iraqis. Al Laban i said he bribed befriended and misled iraqis to protect the Oil operation and its employees and to gather intelligence that was sent to the allies. A we gave them Large amounts of Money videos pcs personal computers food they loved electronics a he said. A we identified so Many targets for the  persuaded some senior iraqi military Oftie frs to remove explosives from the Oil Wells Al Laban i said. But other mines were later installed. He said the resistance in Ahmadi kept westerners and kuwaitis hidden smuggled some out of the country and set up a system to distribute food and other essentials to those hiding. A we did it in a very Well organized and coordinated manner a he said a ii we had done it any other Way we would have been  then the iraqis began igniting hundreds of Oil Wells. Al Laban i said the Burgan Field the nations biggest and richest went upon feb. 18. A you just heard the Boom a he said. A then another one it sounded like three at a time. Boom Boom room. Boom Boom Boom. It was like music. A terrible  in the stars and stripes Iraq s steadfastness praised by Arafat Tunis Tunisia apr Plo chairman Yasser Arafat on saturday praised iraqis a Brave steadfastness in the Gulf v War and said the regions latest political climate could help solve israeli palestini an disputes. In speech released by the palestinian. News Agency Wafa Arafat said Israel had1 lost some influence among Western leaders who Are anxious to resolve pales Tinian tensions and other Mideast issues. A a Iraq a Brave steadfastness in face of the mad aggression created new facts on the strategic Levei that serve our cause and National struggle a Arafat said. The War a strengthened the position of the palestinian question on top of the Agenda for the world Community a he said. He did not explain How. Many analysts. Of the Middle East have said that Arafat a support for iraqi president Saddam Hussein undercut the Hopes of a solution for the palestinians. Wafa said the Quot speech was Given to Mark the 40th month of the palestinian uprising in the israeli occupied West Bank and Gaza strip. It was not Clear where the address was delivered. Arafat Wais one of the few Arab leaders who openly supported Saddam. Before the War Saddam tried to link a peaceful solution of the Gulf crisis to a Middle East peace conference that would include the palestinian question. Arafat said that Israel the target of 30 iraqi scud missiles emerged from the War a with the loss of much of what used to be considered its strategic  the scuds killed two people injured 230 and damaged thousands of apartments and houses. Also saturday the Palestine liberation organization executive committee debated whether palestinian leaders in the occupied territories should meet with Secretary of state James a. Baker i1j. Although no official decision was announced a tunisian newspaper reported the committee May have Given approval for some palestinian leaders to talk with Baker. While in route to the Middle last on thursday Baker said he would be willing to meet with Plo representatives. 10 years ago March 11, 1981 a Secretary of state Alexander Haig said the United states is ready to proceed rapidly toward a resumption  with the soviet Union aimed at reducing medium Range nuclear Force Levels in Europe. 20 years ago March 11, 1971 the most serious obstacle to the establishment of an All Volu Ritter army according to defense Secretary Melvin r. Laird is the Quot scandalously Low Quot pay now Given to enlisted men with less than two years of service. He compared a private s annual pay of $1,800 with the $3,300 a civilian receives under the Federal minimum wage Law. 30 years ago March 11,1961 a Wilt Chamberlain set a personal High and came within four Points of the a bad a single game scoring record with a 67-Point Effort in the san Francisco warriors 135-126 Victory Over the new York kicks. 40 years ago March 11, 1951 a the Senate by a vote of 79-5 passed a Bill provid ing for the draft of 18-year-Olds and Universal military training later. The overwhelming vote took even supporters by Surprise with Only five. Republicans voting against it