To: Platter who wrote (34791 ) 1/11/1999 12:57:00 PM From: davedb Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 95453
Here you go for starters. Kuwait Places Troops On Top Alert After Iraq 'Threats' By Ashraf Fouad KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait has placed part of its military on full combat alert in response to Iraqi "threats" to neighboring Gulf Arab states, a defense ministry spokesman said Monday. Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Salem Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah headed an emergency defense council meeting Sunday night to discuss "threats by the Iraqi regime" to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Colonel Ahmad al-Rahmani told Reuters. "We have some units always on alert since the 1991 Gulf War and the latest measure is to further boost their readiness and level of alert," he added. In previous military standoffs with former occupier Iraq, Kuwait had placed some of its troops on alert but not full alert. The official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said the defense council also "stressed the importance of preparing to call in some reserves." Kuwait, with some 20,000 troops on active duty, and its Western allies have a plan to defend the tiny country which also involves American soldiers deployed on a near year-round basis here since the Gulf War, in which a U.S.-led force ejected Iraqi forces from Kuwait. In recent days, northern neighbor Iraq intensified its verbal attacks against Gulf Arab states for being involved in last month's U.S.-led air strikes against Iraq. Sunday, Iraq also told Gulf War foes Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to stop U.S. and British warplanes from using their bases to patrol a no-fly zone over southern Iraq. The United States and Britain used a wide variety of Gulf Arab military facilities in December's air campaign against Iraq. They have warned Iraq against any reprisal attacks. Iraq has also called on Arabs to topple their leaders for aiding the military campaign against it and a local Kuwaiti newspaper said 25 "Arabs" were arrested with anti-government leaflets. Al-Rai al-Aam newspaper said Monday the leaflets "call for a revolution against the Americans and instigate against the system of rule" in Kuwait. Kuwait Interior Ministry officials were not immediately available to comment on the report which said the defendants "confessed that they were recruited by the Iraqi regime to harm (Kuwait's) security and stability." Kuwait's internal security has been on alert for several weeks, including additional measures around Western embassies and residential compounds and U.S. military interests in the Gulf Arab state.