European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday. October 12, 1994_ i persian Gulf i the stars and stripes Page 5iraq s Force smaller a but still lethal Washington apr the overwhelming advantage that . And Allied forces held Over Saddam Hussein a army during the 1991 persian Gulf War is even More overwhelming today. But that does no to mean iraqis Best forces would be an instant Pushover. V a a a a a a a a a a a a. Saddam a announced decision to pull his Republican guard forces from the kuwaiti Border area appears to remove at least for now the threat of renewed conflict with a .-led military coalition operating in Kuwait and saudi Arabia even so the sudden and Swift buildup of iraqi forces near the demilitarized zone that separates Kuwait and Iraq has put the spotlight on Saddam a ability to rebuild his War a ravaged army despite International Trade sanctions. Rep. Ike Skelton d-mo., a member of the House armed services committee said monday that the Best . Estimates Are that the iraqi army is now equal to about 60 percent of its strength at the outbreak of the Gulf War in january 1991. A the started rebuilding immediately a Skelton said in an interview with relatively thin kuwaiti ground forces to defend against a sudden and full scale attack by Iraq Saddam a forces almost certainly could have penetrated deep into the tiny emirate before enough . Reinforcements arrived to Roll them Back. A but he a not going to get it in one swoop As he did in 1990, said Harry g. Summers jr., a retired army colonel and a distinguished fellow at the army War College at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania. A a there a no doubt that he has a considerable Force there a Summers said but the . Edge in Quality of forces is even More pronounced now than the last time. The big advantage for Kuwait and its defenders this time is that . And Allied air ground and Marine forces Are within easier reach and iraqis forces Are thinner. President Clinton a decision to Send an additional 350 . Warplanes to the Region including air Force. B-52 bombers and f-117a stealth fighters Narrows even further the window of Opportunity for Saddam to make a move against Kuwait. Retired air Force col. Sam Gardiner estimated that a single Republican guard division a representing the Best trained and Best equipped of Iraq s land forces a has about one third the combat strength of a single . Army division. Dick Cheney who was . Defense Secretary during the Gulf War said monday that he has no doubt that it would be less costly and Tim consuming to repel Saddam a forces today. A a there a no question but that we would be far More effective today in terms of responding to an iraqi attack on Kuwait. We be got a lot of stay behind equipment there a lot of forces still in the Region a Cheney said on Abc. A year ago the defense department estimated that iraqis army had shrunk from about 1 million troops at the time Kuwait was invaded in August 1990 to about 400,000 and that the number of tanks had dropped from 5,500 to about 2,200. It is believed that Iraq still has a Large number a probably More than 100 a scud surface to surface missiles that have enough Range to threaten the whole Region. Iraqis air Force was grounded during the Gulf War by a greatly Superior Allied Fleet. Some of iraqis modern planes were destroyed and some fled to Iran but the bulk of the Force was preserved. The Pentagon estimates the iraqi air Force now includes at least 300 combat aircraft plus several Hundred helicopters Kenneth Zimmerman author of the death lobby How the West armed Iraq wrote recently in the Wall Street journal that Saddam has gotten around the . Sanctions by importing tanks from China and Russia buying military spare parts from Bulgaria and negotiating with european nations to rebuild his Mirage Jet fighters. Quot a a a a a. A the military has emerged As a leaner and meaner fighting machine a Zimmerman wrote. . Army maj. Gen. Patrick m. Hughes director of operations for the joint staff said saturday that iraqis Republican guard divisions Are equipped with soviet designed t-72 Battle tanks self propelled artillery guns and iraqis Best infantry fighting vehicles. He called them the Best led units in Saddam a army. A their proximity to the Kuwait Border is one of the ingredients that makes them so threatening a not Only their combat capability but their placement in relation to Kuwait a Hughes said. Comparison of current forces approx. Figure troops yes a i lists 5 Iraq Vav United states set Kiwi j 54,000 assigned 15.000 on standby allies i Britain France and Kuwait Kuwait 18,000 Armor and artillery combat aircraft 2,200 tanks 300 j number of . 1 vehicles and j weapons in the 1 Region is i classified 176 on bases it Foj in the Region -1 60 on Carrier Foj George Washington 350 being sent Kuwait 150 Battle tanks 39 armoured infantry fighting vehicles 37 armoured personnel carriers -4. Kuwait 125 combat aircraft Britain 28 combat aircraft plus 4 support Craft France 18 combat aircraft plus support Craft 12warships Law \ 5 support Craft warships Kuwait 2 warships 2 coastal patrol boats 55 armed boats Britain 2 warships 1 support Craft France 1 warship source the military balance 1992-1993, a research. Pentagon estimates aps amp Sno repeat yet of 91 coalition against Saddam by the associated press the International coalition that worked together to fight Iraq in 1991 has yet to unite again in the face of Saddam Hussein a military buildup on the Border with Kuwait. Only the United states Britain and France had deployed troops by monday with Australia and Egypt saying they would join if necessary. Other Arab nations had not made any Public announcements about joining an International Force to withstand Iraq a second time. Russia and China members of the . Security Council with veto Power Over military action urged restraint and a peaceful solution to the crisis. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, it took then president Bush months to build the coalition of dozens of countries to set up forces in the Region. Meanwhile in Ankara it became Clear that Turkey a staunch Western ally in the persian Gulf War was taking a More Neutral line in the latest crisis. The current tension with Baghdad comes As Turkey is seeking better ties with Iraq. Among other things it had been negotiating to pump out iraqi Oil that has been trapped in a pipeline Between the two neighbors for the past four years. Foreign minister Mumtaz so Sal refrained from denouncing Iraq Over reports that its troops were massing on the kuwaiti Border saying merely that Turkey was in close Contact with Baghdad and was offering advice. A former president Bush with his wife Barbara talks monday to a group in Nashville tenn., about his actions in the persian Gulf backs his decision to Stop Short Orlando Fla. A former president Bush defended his decision to end the persian Gulf War without toppling iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein saying the Mission was to kick iraqi forces out of Kuwait not eliminate him. A. A a a we would have lost the support of the other countries a Bush said monday As he stumped in Florida for his son Jeb who is running for governor. Bush also said he did not want a single american to lose his or her life in a downtown Baghdad searching for a villain who had the Security system second to a the United states should never measure its Macho standing by How Many people you can Slaughter a Bush said. A that army was Defeated. They were running Down the Highway of death with their hands in the air and i just did not feel a and i know my decision was morally Correct a that you done to measure Victory by stacking up dead Bush also praised president Clinton a handling of the current iraqi crisis. A i do think the president did the right thing yesterday and today a he said. A i do not believe Saddam Hussein is stupid enough a though he a demonstrated stupidity far beyond the Normal realm a to attack Kuwait again. A if he does he will be except for the comments on Ira Bush spent most of the evening telling jokes and family stories at the $500-a-plate dinner. The dinner raised More than $250,000 for his songs Campaign. A
