European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A a a a a a a a a a a a. A a a. A a a _ a amp Sluko Britt residents of Safwan and refugees press against the Gate at a medical clinic where americans care for the sick and injured. Ass Susan Harris fear and waiting in Safwan by Luke Britt Middle East Bureau 0-n the battered Mam Street of. Safwan Iraq children their faces painted with a mixture of dirt and sweat Chase after military vehicles a carrying  soldiers South toward saudi Arabia. A. Quot a a a a a a from the doorways of Bullet riddled Homes or through the broken windows of shops the people of Safwan. A watch with grim expressions As the vehicles go by the convoys Are More frequent now that the United nations a cease fire is official. Soon the last american soldiers will to out of Iraq and on their Way Home. A / a a but Safwan seems no closer to peace and no further from War today than it did when Allied tanks rolled into town More than a month ago. Only the enemies have a changed a a y old men sit on curbs next to piles of trash and half a heatedly swat at Ilies dogs tear at each other Over a Choice scrap pulled from one of the trash he aps. Everywhere is the Rotten stench of refuse baking in the. Sun. I a a a this is their waiting game Quot said staff sgt Eddie Karakas. Of he co 3rd army div. Quot they re waiting to see what the world has in store for them. They know there a still War in their  a. A Karakas is As Good an Arab analyst As can be found in Safwan. He is armenian by birth and although he has a lived in the United states for 20 years he Speaks Lluent a arabic. His division has been responsible for the Security of the Safwan area for the . There s a futility to Safwan s waiting game the people do not know exactly what they Are waiting for Karakas said. Once it was for the War to end then for the. Americans , and now they wait to see who will be in control of the City next. A a a y leaders of the  Force arrived in the area last week. They Are assessing the situation in a Safwan As Well As the rest of the 9-Rnile Buffer zone. Between Iraq and Kuwait. A a a. Safwan is the Only City of any size on the iraqi Side of. The Buffer zone created by the . Cease fire Resolution. Military police at checkpoints throughout occupied. Iraq say the refugees seem to believe Safwan is the Only place in Iraq where they will be Safe from iraqi president Saddam Hussein. Quot everyone a going to Safwan Quot said staff sgt David Palmer a 503rd or co Soldier who guards a checkpoint 30 Miles from the town. Quot they think Safwan is some kind of  a. / it s not heaven but Safwan is the Only City where the refugees in Southern Iraq can Goi unlike kurdish refugees to the North those in the South cannot leave the country. Iran after accepting thousands of refugees has strictly limited the number allowed to Cross its Borders and Kuwait refuses to admit iraqis. I. With the Republican guard pressing Down from the North the u a Buffer zone and Safwan Are All that is left military officials estimate that More than 70 percent of the 25,000 people now living in Safwan Are refugees from towns farther North and their number grows by several Hundred a Day. They come with very Little food water or Money and armed with the wrong idea about a future in Safwan a. A a a a. A. The. Refugees come expecting the anti Saddam a. Sentiment to be Strong in a atty occupied by american forces. What they find is a pragmatic town that realizes  Are leaving soon the United nations will. Not remain forever and that Saddam has a poor track record for forgiveness. A a. The 1,500-Man peacekeeping  hot intended to be a permanent occupation. The . Security Council will review the situation every six months and determine if the Force s presence is still needed. The Day the Council. Decides the Force is. No longer needed is what the people of Safwan and the refugees fear most. There has been no warm Welcome for those streaming into. Safwan. Quot we do not want these rebels Here a Obeid Kashun of Gia the mayor of Safwan said of the refugees Quot they Are Lawless people who Burn and make trouble in the streets.�?�. A a a a. Quot. In an Effort to separate newcomers from the. A townspeople american troops created a refugee Camp South of town. Although nearly 8,000 refugees moved into. The Camp Many still go into the town. Another 2,000refugees have since flowed into the area and set up an a Quot anti Saddam Headquarters Quot in the remains of a Safwan hotel. A ,. -. A. Their plan refugee s have told Karakas is to take Over the town and make it a base for rebuilding the rebellion against Saddam in Southern Iraq. As the sergeant sees it the Only thing stopping them from controlling the town is. The . Military. A. Quot they be threatened to kill the mayor and anybody who Page 14 a the stars and stripes tuesday