Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 11, 1994 TAG: 9411180005
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
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.
After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, it took President George Bush months to build the coalition of dozens of countries to set up forces in the region.
One big difference from the Persian Gulf War was the stand reportedly taken by King Hussein of Jordan, isolated for siding with Saddam in 1991.
The king was quoted Monday by Kuwait's al-Siyassah daily as saying: ``We have advised Iraq not to repeat the mistake of 1990. We will oppose any use of force by any Arab against another. We are on the side of the target of aggression.''
Russia and China, members of the U.N. Security Council with veto power over military action, urged restraint and a peaceful solution to the crisis.
``As we see it, it is still possible to settle the problem by diplomatic and political means,'' said Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency.
Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating said Monday that his country, which provided several warships for the Gulf War coalition, would favorably consider any U.S. request for similar help this time.
``I think that the great pity was that we never went after Saddam Hussein in the first place,'' he said. ``When we had him beaten, we should have finished him off.''
An Egyptian Defense Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Egypt's armed forces were ready to participate in any international coalition force. Egypt also was a member of the U.S.-led coalition.
France was sending the frigate Georges-Leyguesa to the gulf to join U.S. and British warships already dispatched there, the French Foreign Ministry said Monday.
A British frigate was already patrolling off Kuwait City and Britain has had six Tornado fighters based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, since the Gulf War.
Britain decided Monday to send a battalion of marine commandos, a second Royal Navy vessel and six more fighter-bombers to the gulf unless Iraq immediately withdraws its troops.
``We have assured our friends and partners in the gulf of our readiness to help them. Iraq should draw the appropriate conclusions,'' the office of Prime Minister John Major said.
Major said advance elements of the British army's elite ``spearhead battalion,'' about 800 members of the Royal Marines, would depart within 24 hours, ``unless by then we have evidence that Iraq is reversing its recent deployment.''
Kuwait signed defense pacts with the United States, Britain, Russia and France after the 1990 invasion by Iraq, which triggered the Gulf War in which the U.S.-led coalition defeated Saddam's forces.
The United Nations also imposed economic sanctions on Iraq, which Saddam wants lifted.
Germany, in the name of the European Community, urged Iraq to pull back.
If Iraq doesn't comply, ``the reaction has to be like it was before,'' Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel said. He declined to say whether German troops would participate in a new coalition.
by CNB