European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4the stars and stripes saturday March 16, 1991 in the Gulf to a. A a a a Sas Dav Schad Mohamed Abdul Hussain a bangladeshi worker at Khalid Sulimani a grocery store scrubs shelves covered with dust knocked Loose from the shelling of Khaki. By Dave Schad Middle East Bureau Khanji saudi Arabia a Khalid Suliman believes that Allah a hand protected his Home and business during the iraqi army a Brief occupation of Khanji. Suliman the owner of a Small grocery store returned to Khanji last weekend after living with relatives farther Down the coast since the Start of the air War in january unlike Many of the houses and other stores on the towns main streets his property Hadnot been shot at or looted iraqi forces invaded Khanji on Jan. 30 during the first significant ground action of the War. The iraqis fled the City three Days later after suffering heavy casualties in fierce fighting with . Marines and other coalition forces. A i feel very Lucky a said Suliman 29. A when the iraqis moved in i was worried. We watched the fighting on can. Its a very sad and helpless feeling to see people fighting in your town. Some people could Sec from the coverage that their Homes and businesses had been j a a a a a a Suliman returned to Khanji with his five bangladeshi employees they checked their buildings,.cleaned the store and opened it Early this week. Sulimani a store along with another grocery a Barbershop a filling station and a pharmacy Are the Only businesses open in the City. For now he said he does most of his business with saudi British and american military members. He estimates that Only 1,000 of Khan Jim a 30,000 residents have returned so far. He said he believes the rest Are waiting for traffic to Clear off the roads and the City a water system to begin working the electricity is already working and Suliman thinks that both water service and Khan Jim a families will begin returning this weekend. Most of Khan Jim a residents began leaving a few Days before the air War began Suliman who is married and has three children said they left a because everybody else did.�?�. A a lot of our foreign workers wanted to go to a safer place so Many businesses started closing a he said. A after that it was a mass exodus. People were afraid of stray bombs and they were afraid the. Iraqis might Suliman who left Jan. 17, the Day the War began said he could hear bombs sex. Proding inside iraqi occupied Kuwait about 15 Miles to the North. Driving away he said he could see that saudi forces had established their lines South of the City leaving Khanji Between them and the iraqis. A i think letting them come into Khanji was part of the plan a he said. A the allies wanted to let them in so they could encircle them and destroy them which is what during their Brief occupation the iraqi soldiers stole food tvs and stereo equipment. Suliman said the Only thing he lost was his car but he a unsure if the iraqis used it in their Retreat or if the saudi army has temporarily a a borrowed it. A there is some damage Here but Overall the people in be talked to feel that we came out pretty Well a Suliman added a what happened Here is nothing compared to what happened in Kuwait and Iraq. How we can complain too much a 12 congressmen defy Foley to accept to by Gary Lee a the Washington Post Washington a twelve members of Congress who voted to authorize the use of Force in the persian Gulf ignored the objections of House speaker Thomas a Foley d-wash., and left for their own visit to the Region thursday night their expenses paid a at Kuwait a request a by a corporation seeking to do business in Kuwait. Foley spokesman Jeff Biggs said the speaker objected strongly to the trip during a party meeting last week. A House ethics panel had told the congressmen they could not accept a trip paid for by a foreign government and Foley expressed concern that even . Corporate sponsorship might not justify the trip. Biggs said the speaker thought corporate funding would be Only superficial cover for a trip improperly financed by Kuwait. Foley a blew up a one Democrat present at the meeting said. Biggs said the speaker had a expressed his views strongly and clearly. I done to think anybody left with any doubt about How strongly he the 10 republicans and two democrats who All voted Jan. 12 for a Bush administration Resolution authorizing the use of Force in the persian Gulf were invited by kuwaiti ambassador Saud Nasir Sabah alter Kuwait was liberated from iraqi troops. Their expenses were picked up by the fluor.corp., based in Irvine. Calif., a spokesman there said. Secretary of Commerce Robert a. Mosbacher also went along on the trip representing the Bush administration. A the wants to assess the situation a department spokeswoman Marcie Robinson said a and see How we can be of any further Mosbacher strip was paid for by the kuwaiti government under a department Rule that allows such trips if they facilitate the work of the department Robinson said. The four Day visit dubbed by Sabah the a first Freedom flight to Kuwait a appeared to be Kuwait s Way of saying thanks to its. Supporters in Congress and to others assisting in. A of Elf it a rebuilding the War a torn country Sabah travelled with the delegation and his office did not respond to Telephone Calls. Fluor a major american construction company worked in Kuwait in the 1960s and is bidding for kuwaiti contracts to help restore Oil facilities and refineries spokeswoman Deborah land said in an interview. Others on the trip Are senior business executives from american Telephone amp Telegraph Dresser corp. And other firms involved in reconstructing Kuwait after the devastation of the War the guest list also features prominent defenders of Kuwait a cause including Sam Zakhem Tor Mer . Ambassador to Bahrain and , Abinader chairman of the National .-Arab chamber of Commerce. When Sabah first issued the invitation earlier this month the ethics committee told the members that congressional rules barred travel from the United states to a foreign country under the sponsorship of a foreign government according to a committee spokesman who asked not to be named. The exception would be a y cultural trip the spokesman said. Kuwait then asked the National Council on Arab american relations to organize american corporate sponsorship for the trip said Ron Ca Thill a Council spokesman. Several corporations agreed. To contribute and the $700,000 needed was quickly raised Cathell said. But Sabah cancelled because he did not want to invite representatives from All the companies sponsoring the trip Cathell said. Fluor spokesman land declined to say How much Fluor was contributing for the trip but other sources estimated that expenses for 12 congressmen would amount to about $60,000, a republicans included Are Elton Gallegly Cali Curt Weldon Ajohn r. Fasieh Ohio Helen Delict Bentley my. Robert k. Dornan Cali Bill Faxon k. Machtley g. Oxley Ohi Chalmers f. Wylie ohioans James m. In bore okla. Democrats Are Charles j. Luken Ohio and Pete Geren Texa Mosbacher going Home ill depend on Mission Dhahran saudi Arabia apr not All soldiers who were the first to arrive in the persian Gulf Region will be among the first to leave a top general said. The departures of service Mem ers will depend on the missions of their units said army it. Gen. William a a Gus Pagonis the chief of logistics for Central come forces in the Gulf. He cited Many in his command As an example. A we were some of the first ones Here a he said thursday. A a we re going to be Here until everything a out of Here. A some soldiers will go Home who just arrived. Other soldiers will be going Home who be been Here a Long time. But its going to be based on the Mission. And every Soldier knows that a he said. About 17,000 . Troops left saudi Arabia last week in the initial redeployment of american forces Back to the United states. The withdrawals Are continuing although not at the rate of the first redeployment. A formal peace treaty with Iraq has yet to be signed so some . Combat units will remain in Dhah. Ran and in Southern Iraq to defend the Region. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney has said he would like the pullout to reach 5,000 troops a Day
