GULF WATCH: Day 80
Diplomatic Front:
Canada abandoned its embassy in Kuwait after besieged diplomats ran out of food. Only three nations--the United States, Britain and France--continue to operate their diplomatic missions in Kuwait in defiance of Iraqi orders to close.
In New York, as many as 4,000 demonstrators marched down Broadway to protest the U.S.-led military buildup in the Middle East, and smaller rallies were held in other cities.
Military Front:
Challenger tanks from Britain’s famed “Desert Rats” fighting force arrived in Saudi Arabia in the first desert deployment of the 7th Armored Brigade since World War II. The British units will be integrated into U.S. Marine forces in the region.
Saudi Arabia is buying millions of surplus gas masks in Eastern Europe for distribution to Saudi civilians to be used in case of a chemical weapons attack by Iraq, officials said.
Hostage Front:
Former British Prime Minister Edward Heath arrived in Baghdad on a mission to free about 70 elderly and ailing Britons trapped in Iraq. Heath was scheduled to meet with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The Reserve Mobilization:
* Army reserves called up: 24,366
* Navy reserves called up: 4,665
* Air Force reserves called up: 4,863
* Coast Guard reserves called up: 516
* Marine reserves called up: 174
* Total mobilized so far: 34,584
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