Newsgroups: biz.americast.samples
From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com
Organization: American Cybercasting
Subject: 'Eager Mace' opens in Gulf
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 11:09:31 EDT

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\SE A
\SS (WS)
\HD 'Eager Mace' opens in Gulf
\SH U.S.  sends Saddam message
\BY John West
\CR REUTERS NEWS AGENCY
\DT KUWAIT CITY

KUWAIT CITY - U.S.  Marines in amphibious assault vehicles, escorted by
low-flying helicopter gunships, landed on Kuwaiti shores yesterday in a
clear U.S.  message for Saddam Hussein to keep his hands off the oil-rich
emirate.

Exercise Eager Mace, planned last year, is the first of three war games
in Kuwait that will involve more than 5,000 U.S.  troops in landing,
live-fire and tank maneuvers this month.

In Baghdad, a U.N.  bus was stoned yesterday after the United Nations
ordered new measures to protect its 38 guards and 130 aid workers in the
Iraqi capital.

But Hiroshi Matsumoto, acting chief coordinator for U.N.  operations in
Iraq, said he believed talks since May with Baghdad would produce another
pact for U.N.  agencies to operate in Iraq.

"I believe negotiations will provide a new agreement for humanitarian
programs in Iraq.  . . . People are still suffering, and the needy need
even more because of economic problems," he said.

The last agreement expired June 30, and U.N.  agencies have found it
increasingly hard to operate because of a severe shortage of visas and
travel permits for international staff.

In Kuwait, the heavily armed, camouflaged Marines splashed ashore as
Apache attack helicopters, similar to those used with deadly effect against
Iraqi tanks in the Gulf war, darted overhead to provide cover.

Slower Puma helicopters shepherded assault craft to shore, and
Hovercraft beached to disgorge light-armored assault vehicles.  Patriot
air-defense missile radars several miles away scanned the clear blue skies.

"We look at this exercise as a tremendous opportunity to practice with
our Kuwaiti friends . . . and also to demonstrate U.S.  commitment to
stability in the Gulf region," said Capt.  Braden Philips, commander of the
exercise.

Asked how stability could be achieved, Capt.  Philips said: "I think
there are probably two significant factors . . . our presence and bilateral
training."

Washington said last week it was bringing forward one of the exercises,
Intrinsic Action, from September to cool a recent surge of Iraqi rhetoric.
A new team of U.N.  weapons inspectors left New York Monday night bound for
Baghdad.

Iraq capped a stream of bellicose rhetoric by using the war games and
Sunday's second anniversary of the invasion of the emirate to repeat its
claim to "Iraq's 19th province."

Rumors of a new Iraqi threat had swept a jittery Kuwait even after the
United States stationed eight Patriot launchers on the edge of the city.

U.N.  officers monitoring Iraq's border with Kuwait reported no signs
of unusual activity last week.

The United States has no troops permanently stationed in Kuwait but has
signed a 10-year defense pact and carried out at least eight exercises
involving thousands of troops in the emirate this year.

The tank landing ship Schenectady began yesterday's maneuvers by
discharging amphibious assault vehicles into the sea off the port of
Shuwaikh.

After they formed up, the 12-man vehicles cut through calm seas before
lumbering up a ramp on caterpillar tracks.

Some helmeted Marines waded ashore, holding automatic weapons and
equipment at chest height after stepping from assault craft a few yards
from the beach.

Capt.  Philips said 1,900 troops, who arrived in the Persian Gulf
nearly three weeks ago, landed on Kuwaiti shores yesterday.

U.S.  officers said exercises, some of which will involve Kuwaiti
forces, were still in their initial stages and would gradually get bigger
and faster.  Exercises at the port were geared to simulate a largely
unopposed landing, they said.

Lt.  Tim Davis, who was in the Gulf when the U.S.-led allies drove
Iraqi troops from the emirate in February 1991, said he was glad to be back
and off the ship.

"We haven't been gone that long.  . . . It's refreshing to be back and
see it all cleaned up," he said.


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