THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180458
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 115 lines
President Clinton defended his actions against Iraq on Tuesday and vowed to continue taking steps ``to keep Saddam Hussein in a box,'' moving on several fronts to quell grumbling by Republicans in Congress that the United States had not done enough and to rally support among allies concerned that it had done too much.
``It's obvious that he's always pushing the envelope,'' Clinton said Tuesday of Saddam. ``We didn't want to create a precedent that would lead him to believe he could take further action. We didn't want there to be any ambiguity at all.''
The president announced that he had ordered 3,500 additional American troops to Kuwait. The additional soldiers, from Fort Hood, Texas, would join 1,200 others conducting exercises there by the end of the week, Defense Secretary William Perry said.
Amid signs that the confrontation was easing, Clinton said the troops were intended to insure that Saddam keeps his promise not to attack American jets patrolling the skies over Iraq and to diminish any threat to Iraq's neighbors, including Kuwait.
Perry said that after weeks of menacing rhetoric and actions by Baghdad, Iraq was ``backing off'' and appeared to be meeting U.S. demands not to threaten U.S. warplanes.
Administration officials said Iraq apparently was no longer rebuilding air defense facilities in Southern Iraq that were struck by U.S. cruise missiles and was moving mobile anti-aircraft missile launchers back to bases where they can be monitored.
In Iraq, however, the tone was still somewhat defiant.
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz responded with blistering rhetoric to the plans to move more troops into Kuwait.
``American pretexts and justifications for deploying its troops in the Arab Gulf region is aimed at preparing an aggression on Iraq,'' the state-run Iraqi News Agency quoted Aziz as saying.
The State Department also announced that the administration had delivered a second formal message to Iraq outlining the steps Saddam must take to avoid further military retaliation by the United States. The department's spokesman, Nicholas Burns, said ``the Iraqis now have a very clear understanding of what is required of them.''
Officials refused to say what was on the administration's list of demands.
``The message that we conveyed to the Iraqis will remain in effect indefinitely,'' Burns said. ``It has no expiration date. The United States will watch very closely to see whether Saddam Hussein backs up his words with actions.''
In Kuwait, Patriot anti-missile units were moved into the desert on Tuesday.
Reporters saw the Patriot batteries being deployed. The Pentagon had announced it was sending two Patriot units to the region to guard against possible Iraqi Scud missile attacks, and a U.S. Embassy spokesman later confirmed their arrival.
After congressional leaders met Tuesday with Clinton at the White House, Democratic senators disputed charges that Clinton had hesitated in sending the troops to Kuwait.
Even Republicans seemed happy with the policies following the meeting.
Senate Republican leader Trent Lott of Mississippi expressed satisfaction after attending the meeting, although he termed it ``somewhat belated.''
He said he hoped ``there will be no basis'' for the troops to go into action, but added that would depend on whether Saddam threatens U.S. forces or his neighbors.
Virginia Sen. John W. Warner, another the GOP lawmakers at the meeting, called it ``a very straightforward exchange,'' but declined comment on whether Clinton discussed plans for new military strikes against Iraq.
Warner said he urged the president ``to raise the level of public understanding about the complexity of this conflict,'' particularly Saddam's ``hellbent desire'' to acquire nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Clinton agreed that deterring Iraq from getting or using those weapons is a critical part of U.S. policy in the Middle East, Warner said.
Around the world, the United States found some new support for its Iraqi policies.
France said it would permit American planes to fly over French territory. Britain said it was ready to send troops to Kuwait.
An Iraqi Shiite Muslim opposition group, meanwhile, claimed that Saddam was massing troops in southern Iraq ahead of an operation against dissidents there.
The group, the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, has reported Iraqi troop movements several times in the past, but the United States and its allies - which are flying dozens of sorties over the area daily - have not confirmed the reports.
Turkey, meanwhile, said Massoud Barzani, Saddam's Kurdish ally who took control of northern Iraq earlier this month, would travel to Ankara to meet with Turkish officials later this week.
The latest crisis began Aug. 31, when Saddam sent soldiers into the U.S.-protected Kurdish ``safe haven'' in northern Iraq. They ousted one Kurdish faction in favor of Barzani's group.
Washington responded by firing cruise missiles on military targets in southern Iraq on Sept. 3 and 4. MEMO: This story was compiled from reports by The New York Times, The
Associated Press, The Chicago Tribune and staff writer Dale Eisman.This
story was compiled from reports by The New York Times, The Associated
Press, The Chicago Tribune and staff writer Dale Eisman. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
Color photos
A U.S. RING AROUND - AND ABOVE - IRAQ
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Troops at Fort Hood, Texas, prepare Tuesday for their deployment to
Kuwait. The first of 3,500 troops headed to the region are scheduled
to leave today. They will join 1,200 soldiers already in the
country.
KEYWORDS: IRAQ U.S. NAVY PERSIAN GULF
SADDAM HUSSEIN by CNB