European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 11, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april.1.1, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 3 sergeant Felt right at Home during stint by Ron Jensen staff writer Rhein main a Germany a for Many service members operations desert shield and storm meant deployment to an alien land with strange customs and an unintelligible language. But for staff sgt. Kamal Masri of the 37th tac Airlift so seven months in the United Arab emirates constituted a Homecoming. A my sister was Down the Street a said Masri a native of Lebanon who moved to America when he was 16. Masri went to the persian Gulf Region in August to work in his military specially As a c-130 flight Engineer. But he proved More valuable As a translator and Bridge Between the two cultures. A i was filled out of duty a of of times to solve problems and do a of of translating a said Masri 32, a 10-year air Force Veteran who returned to Germany less than two weeks ago a my Crew was very understanding. I had to be pulled out of. The flight schedule Many  Masri had barely set foot on United Arab emirates Sand when he was called on to Deal with a problem. The base that was to be used by c-130 Crews from around the world was being built and the american and Arab officials were arguing Over plans. A your people were going up the Wall. Their people were going up the Wall a Masri recalled. The problem was the air forces insistence that fuel tanks be buried underground for safety reasons. The arabs did not see the need for such caution. A we explained this was what was required by our regulations. They understood a Masri said. A that was my first Day. I got dumped into  from that moment on Masri found himself called on to help in various business deals Between the americans and their Host nation everything from laundry services to purchases of nails and Wood. His translation skills were particularly helpful because of his native knowledge of arabic. A a translator from an american background will not understand if they say a not to worry a or he said. Blit Masri knows such a seemingly casual statement is a solemn Promise a almost diplomatic  Masri a value extended beyond language. A most people Down there speak English a he said. A but their Way of thinking is a Little bit different. I knew people would find it hard to  for example he said arabs Are often heard to Masri say a Minsha pie llah which Means a god willing a that too is not simply a casual statement. If something does no to get done Masri said the arabs simply feel it is not gods will that it get done a a philosophy not easily embraced by Many americans. Masri also created a Short language guide containing useful phrases written in English and arabic. Anyone lost or in need of help in unfamiliar territory could use Masri a creation. Phrases were As simple As a please take me to a Telephone a and As lifesaving As a do you know where saudi or other Friendly troops Are a Masri submitted the guide to air forehead quarters at . Central come in Riyadh saudi Arabia. Jde asked if they wanted to use it or something similar. He was not aware of anyone using his guide to escape enemy territory or find his Way through the vast desert but he knows people were glad to have it  the Gulf americans u iness with War s end growing by the new York times a majority of americans now say the United states and its allies should have continued fighting until president Saddam Hussein was removed front Power but a majority also say it is Best for the United states to stay out of Active involvement in the current turmoil in Iraq according to the latest Gallup poll. Fifty six percent of 1,002 adults interviewed last thursday through saturday said a the . And its allies should have continued fighting until Saddam was removed from Power while 36 percent disagreed. That represented a shift from a Gallup poll taken feb. 28 to March 3, immediately after the temporary cease fire. At that time the Public was closely divided on the matter 46 percent said the United states should have continued fighting to remove Saddam while 49 percent disagreed. But when asked in the new poll about the Best course for the United states now Only 37 percent wanted a to intervene and provide assistance to the rebels in Iraq while 53 percent said it would be More in the interest of the United states a to stay out of any Active involvement in the iraqi internal situation. Quot the new nationwide Telephone poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus four percentage Points. When asked about several particular actions the United states might take now the Public made Sharp distinctions Between some types of involvement it would support and other Steps it opposed a 78 percent favored a providing food and medical supplies to the rebels in Iraq. 57 percent favored Quot using . Aircraft to shoot Down iraqi helicopters and other aircraft being used against the  a 51 percent favored a using . Aircraft to destroy iraqi tanks and artillery being used against the rebels.�?�. A 40 percent favored a providing guns and military assistance to the  a 29 percent favored a using . Ground forces to a fight iraqi military forces being used against the  in answer to an additional a a question a whose wording blurred the distinction Between the Public s seeming willingness to use aircraft and its reluctance to use ground forces a 50 percent said they now favored a using  aircraft and ground forces to remove Saddam Hussein from Power a while 43 percent opposed such action. Over All Public approval of the Way president Bush is a handling the situation in the persion a Gulf Region stood at 78 percent Down from the a extraordinary level of 92 percent in the earlier Gallup poll taken immediately after the cease fire. Of warplanes from Europe guard Relief Effort in Turkey by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern Bureau combat aircraft from air Force bases in Europe have deployed to Turkey to protect transport planes dropping food blankets and other Relief supplies for kurdish refugees fleeing Saddam Hussein a army. U.s., British and French transport aircraft began flying humanitarian missions sunday out of in Ciurlik a Turkey to the iraqi Border. By late wednesday 43 Airdrop of 479,400 pounds of Relief supplies were to have been completed. A there Are still enough unknowns about iraqi intentions so that we re providing defensive coverage for the Airdrop a said it. Col. . Crowley Deputy director for operation provide comforts combined joint infer a mation Bureau at in Ciurlik a. The group of tactical aircraft is operating As the 7440th composite Wing provisional. The 7440th first operated As a composite Wing during proven Force a joint task Force that supported the persian. Gulf War from Turkey. The Wing includes a-10 Thunderbolt is from Raf Ben Waters ef-111 Ravens from Raf upper Heyford both in England and ec-130 Compass Calls from sem Hach a f-15 eagles from Pitburg a f-16 fighting Falcons from rams rein a. And f-4g phantom is from Span Dahlem a All in Germany. A we have Many of the same types of. Aircraft but a completely different Type of Mission a Crowley said of the wings current protective Job in addition to protecting the Airdrop some air planes Are doing other jobs. The a 10s, for instance Are being used to a pinpoint where the people Are a Crowley said. Other aircraft supporting the Relief Effort in the 7440th arc Kc-135 tankers from various strategic air come units and e-3b and e-3c sentries or Azacs. C-130 Hercules Are doing the . Portion of the Airdrop. The Europe based aircraft began deploying to Turkey Over the weekend. Army units that deployed to the combined taskforce from Germany include the 66th Maint in and the 5th quartermaster det both from Kaiserslautern. The United states is dropping water and meals ready to eat. The British arc depositing blankets tents and sleeping bags. The French Are dropping raw food items such As flour Salt and milk. Europe sending 12 ships to Gulf Dubai United Arab emirates up a twelve mine Hunters and minesweepers from four european navies Are joining the Allied naval forces currently Clearing mines left Over from the persian Gulf War a French naval Captain said tuesday. Mine Clearing ships from France Germany Italy and the Netherlands Are expected to arrive in the Gulf or have recently joined the coalition forces to Clear mines from the strategic waterway said capt. Jean Pierre Beauvois. A in the coming Days of this week two More French mine Hunters Are joining us from the red sea a Beauvois said. A they should arrive Between april 15 and april 20.�?� the French Captain said three dutch three italian and four German mine Hunters were also scheduled to arrive in the Gulf within the next few Days and would raise the number of mine Hunters from Europe to 20. Beauvois said the ships comprised the West euro Pean unions contribution to mine Clearing in the waterway. They join the three belgian two French and three British mine Hunters already in the Gulf. A it is important for Europe to coordinate and see our naval forces work together. The Gulf War is the first time this has happened on this scale a he said. A the West european Union was set up in 1956 by France Germany Italy Britain and the Benelux Clun tries for military cooperation. The italian and German embassies in Abu Dahabi could not confirm the numbers provided by Beauvois but both said their vessels were a just  a British consulate spokesman said the figures were Correct a at this  in addition to mine Clearing during the Gulf War the West european Union ships worked together on operation desert Turnpike to provide merchant vessels from Friendly nations with information about the location of mines