Bonn Hikes Aid for Gulf Effort to $2 Billion

Chancellor Helmut Kohl, declaring that American forces in the Persian Gulf “are also defending our interests,” said Saturday that West Germany will contribute about $2 billion to support the U.S.-led effort.

Secretary of State James A. Baker III said later that the West German pledge had raised total foreign contributions to more than $20 billion, substantially increasing the chances of eventually ending the crisis without warfare.

Standing next to Baker, Kohl said he regrets that West Germany’s postwar constitution does not permit his government to send its army to join the multinational force in Saudi Arabia.

The West German contribution, divided about equally between U.S. military operations and economic aid for Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, was dramatically higher than the relatively miserly share the Bonn government had announced earlier. The original offer of less than $500 million drew angry complaints from the U.S. Congress.

Baker said the contributions are “very positive and forthcoming. . . . They go beyond what we had privately discussed in our earlier conversations, and substantially so.”

Baker later told a late evening press conference at the Bonn-Cologne airport that the German contribution increases the total pledged during his 10-day swing through Europe and the Middle East to $16 billion. Counting Japan’s promise of $4 billion, the total exceeds $20 billion, just short of the Bush Administration’s goal of $25 billion.

“I personally feel that events are running in the right direction,” Baker said. “Our preference is to resolve this crisis by diplomatic means. For that to happen, we must have strong international solidarity.”

Asked if it will be possible for the United States to maintain the diplomatic embargo and political pressure on Iraq long enough to force President Saddam Hussein to back down, Baker said: “In the face of some of the commitments--military, political and economic--we can sustain it a lot longer than some people might have thought.”

A sometimes emotional Kohl said that West Germany should also send troops but is barred by law from doing so.

“I regret that our constitution does not allow us at present to assume our full responsibilities,” he said.

He promised to introduce legislation early next year to permit German troops to be deployed beyond the North Atlantic Treaty Organization region.

Public opinion polls indicate that most Germans oppose any direct military involvement in the Persian Gulf. But some West German newspapers have accused the government of ducking its responsibilities by adopting an unnecessarily strict interpretation of the constitution’s prohibition on aggressive military action.

Baker left little doubt that Washington expects Kohl to follow through with his offer to eliminate legal bars to German military participation.

Referring to the scheduled Oct. 3 reunification of West and East Germany, Baker said, “We think as Germany unifies and becomes larger and greater, its responsibilities also increase. Being more means doing more.

“Based on the report you have just given, Mr. Chancellor, I don’t think you can doubt that Germany is doing more.”

Kohl and Baker met in the chancellor’s modest white stucco home in the Oggersheim neighborhood where he grew up in this drab center of the West German chemical industry.

Kohl said West Germany will provide about $1 billion in military equipment and services to the U.S. forces in the gulf. That includes about $650 million worth of trucks, radio equipment, generators, water purification equipment, cranes, chemical protective gear and other materiel. Also included is $266 million to charter ships to carry troops and equipment and 60 chemical-warfare tanks valued at $133 million.

In addition, he said West Germany will increase its economic aid to Egypt by $629 million, to Jordan by $130 million and to Turkey by $65 million. West Germany also will contribute $271 million to a European Community aid package previously announced for the same three countries, all hard hit by the effects of the U.N. trade embargo against Iraq.

Baker said the contributions are especially valuable because Bonn will supply all of the equipment and services before the end of the year.

“We’re not talking about something that might happen in another budget year, we’re talking right now,” Baker said.

Bonn’s contribution to the gulf operation is far less than the amount West Germany has agreed to pay Moscow to relocate Soviet troops now stationed in East Germany. However, Kohl said, Bonn’s aid to the Soviet Union, Hungary and Poland has “stabilized” Eastern Europe and made it possible for Washington to obtain Soviet backing for its gulf policy.

At his press conference, Baker said Egypt has agreed to send two additional divisions--about 30,000 men--to join its forces already in the gulf. He said Syria would send a division.

Baker said he has asked the Soviet Union to provide the aircraft and ships needed to transport the Syrians to the gulf. He said the Soviets agreed to consider the request but have made no decision.

Before leaving Saturday morning for West Germany, Baker met in Rome with Italian officials, winning a pledge that Italy will send a squadron of eight Tornado warplanes and a frigate to the gulf. It will be the first time since World War II that Italian military forces have been deployed outside the NATO area.

In addition, he said, Italy agreed to contribute $145 million in economic aid to Egypt, Turkey and Jordan.

“Everyone who is interested in reversing unprovoked aggression of Iraq must be very pleased” with the Italian pledge, Baker said.

Shortly before midnight in West Germany, Baker boarded his jet to begin the 10-hour trip back to Washington.