European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 28, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 a the stars and stripes thursday january 28,1993iraqi threat to Kuwait eases . Thinks Kuwait apr the commander the threat against 2,000 american sol of . Forces in Kuwait says iraqi Diers deployed in Kuwait. Troops who dispersed during this a i feel even More comfortable that months Allied air attacks now appear to they do not pose a major ground threat be returning to their Barracks in South to us at this time a said Frix 53, of Mer Ern Iraq. Cedes Texas. Intelligence reports indicate move the americans conducting exercises mint by two iraqi army divisions a one near Kuwait a Border with Iraq include mechanized infantry and the other a 1,200 soldiers from the 1st Cav div Morud a that Are based in the Southern based at fort Hood Texas who were town of Basra maj. Gen. Robert s. Frix hurriedly flown in during the latest con said tuesday. Fron tation with Iraq. If confirmed the reports would lower Frix said the iraqis dispersed their troops and equipment from Barracks Are currently at about 90 percent of within hours of a Jan. 13 strike by Allied strength. Aircraft on air defense Sites in Southern the area is inside the Southern no Fly Iraq. Zone imposed by the allies in August to the move apparently was defensive protect shiite Muslim rebels from iraqi in Case the bases were targeted. But of air attacks. Facials were concerned that units on the. Shiite rebels continue to attack iraqi move might also pose a threat to Amer military operations Frix said. But he said ican forces. Details of such clashes were not his con the iraqi divisions Are used to pro Cem because american troops Are in Kun text military installations North of wait to protect kuwaitis. Basra Frix said. Such units normally a we do not see any major iraqi ground have about 12,000 men each but they forces close to the Border a Frix new . Navy concept by William c. Mann the associated press aboard the aircraft Carrier Kitty Hawk a a look at the Kitty Hawks activities for the last three months reflects the new . Navy that George Bush outlined a few hours after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Before Dawn on aug. 2, 1990, after breaking off negotiations on a Border dispute Saddam sent iraqi tanks and soldiers storming into Kuwait. That same Day in a speech in Colorado then presi Dent Bush spoke of a fundamental shift in Post cold War . Security policy. Recognizing americans new role As the worlds Only superpower it basically made the United states alone or in coalitions a policeman to keep regional peace around the world. The next month a White paper the Navy called from the sea a translated the concept for the Fleet which had been created to oppose the soviet Union but now out of synch minus its traditional adversary. The document prescribed a a Brown water Navy Quot that comes close to Shore to control the Battle area and project Power ashore and beyond. A the Rote of aircraft carriers in the open seas is not As important any More a because that a not where the action is says rear adm. Philip j. Coady jr., the Kitty Hawk based Battle group commander. The Book could have been written for Kitty Hawks current december the Carrier was a few Miles off Somalia providing Aerial backup and logistical support As . Marines went ashore to step the looting of Relief shipments and help save starving people. Now Kitty Hawk s aircraft with . Air Force British and French jets Are patrolling the no Fly zone Over Southern Iraq. In addition ships in the carriers 10-Vcsse Battle group fired Tomahawk cruise missiles on Jan. 17, de pilots talk in front of a line of f/a-18 Hornet Jet fighters on the Bow of the aircraft Carrier Kitty Hawk. Stroking a Plant on Baghdad a outskirts that the Pentagon claimed was involved in iraqis nuclear weapons program. All of it right by the new Book. Coady said the Beauty of the new system is that a specific set of ships can be marshalled for a specific emergency. A Somalia was a classic Case really a Coady said. Under the new concept a naval forces Man Euver from the sea using their dominance of coastal areas to mass forces rapidly and generate High intensity precise offensive Power a the White paper said. One weapon highly effective in attacks from such positions is the cruise missile. Some 45 of them were fired from three ships in the persian Gulf and one in the red sea in the Jan. 17 attack. Cmdr. Will Dewes 37, of Indianapolis executive officer of the guided missile Cruiser Cowpens said the ships Crew did no to know where the missiles they fired were headed at the time not even the operators who punched in the targeting information. A no one on the ship needed to know where the missiles were going a Dewes said aboard the Cowpens. A the programming is not done on the ship. They Tell us what the Mission is and we fire it. That a basically All we know at the . Chief in Somalia the Mission is Clear by so it Kraft a los Anglies times Mogadishu Somalia a when a military Crew arrived last month to broadcast news football games and music to the 25,000 . Troops in Somalia it. Gen. Robert u. Johnston promptly sent them packing setting off groans that could be heard into the Countryside a but Johnston the commander of operation restore Hope was Resolute. He thought that at $1 million the broadcasting of oration was too expensive and that it would eat up valuable cargo space on incoming planes. And in his heart he Felt it was inconsistent with the Mission a a it a pretty hard for the troops to accept maybe Quot Johnston admitted in an interview. A but we re Here on a humanitarian Mission a to feed starving somalis. And they have nothing. They done to have pens and papers for schools. They have no clothes for the most part. A and to bring in All the trappings of Home seemed paradoxical. Its almost like we can to do without All the comforts of Home because we re the unpopular decision and the rationale for it says much about the scottish born Marine leading . Forces on the largest and most dangerous humanitarian Mission in their history. He a a no nonsense three Star general a make no mistake. A lean muscular and tanned 55-year-old, he a a sports Buff runs daily ant As recently As 18 months ago managed a perfect score on the Marine fitness test. He a also according to subordinates a a neatness Freak Quot about everything from the letters on his a desk to the crease in his camouflage fatigues. He a also an engaging conversationalist having earned an undergraduate degree in English and a consummate Diplomat deeply aware of the Sensi Johnston five nature of his Mission in an african country with no government and a debilitating famine. A this was Dodge City before we arrived a Johnston said. A diplomacy had clearly failed. A and it was a Mission that required a military solution. Now we know we can take a conventionally. Trained military and put them in a humanitarian Mission. A a in be seen a lot of awful places but this takes the cake a he added. A and to see our marines soldiers sailors and airmen handle the discomfort and hardship like it was not a big Deal has just reinforced our expectations that they a do so far the .-led forces have escorted food for 60 million meals in Somalia. And 3,000 army engineers Are resurfacing 1,200 Miles of Roadway building a Bridge repairing water Wells and building base Camps for the International peacekeeping Force that will remain behind when the United nations appoints a general to take Oyer from Johnston and the americans. And it has been Johnston with the help of special . Envoy Robert a Oakley who has accomplished the delicate task of disarming much of the country without showing favouritism to any of the factions there. That evenhanded approach More than anything else has endeared the . Troops to somalis Many of whom Harbor ill will toward some of the other foreign forces on their soil. A a he a done an amazing Job carrying out his difficult Mission without angering any of the clans Here Quot a . Diplomat said. The main problem area remains Mogadishu the capital As Johnston is the first to admit. Tens of thousands of guns have disappeared from the streets. But armed robberies have increased and troops have been subjected to sniper fire almost daily. A we All feel vulnerable out Here Quot Johnston said. A any gangster could take us out at any time. But we knew when we came in that this might not be a benign
