GULF WATCH: Day 93 : A Daily Briefing Paper On Developments In The Crisis
Military Front:
President Bush will visit American troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving and hopes to share a holiday dinner in the desert with some of the more than 210,000 military personnel assigned to the region, the White House announced.
At a campaign appearance in Minnesota, the President said he would do his best to bring American soldiers home “without a shot being fired in anger.” But he reiterated his intention to accept no compromises short of Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. Diplomatic Front:
Bush will review the Middle East crisis with King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and the exiled emir of Kuwait during his trip to the Persian Gulf region later this month, the White House said. Bush will visit the area after stops in Europe.
Secretary of State James A. Baker III will travel to Moscow next week to discuss the Persian Gulf situation with Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev and Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze, the State Department said.
The Moscow stop will be added to a weeklong tour of Europe and the Middle East by Baker. Hostage Front:
A group of hostages from the United States, Britain and Japan told foreign journalists that they want to go home but denied reports of mistreatment. Iraqi officials arranged the group interview and stood by as it took place. The Iraqi Military Machine:
Iraqi forces in/near Kuwait: 430,000
Iraqi tanks in/near Kuwait: 4,800
Artillery pieces in/near Kuwait: 2,450
Multiple rocket launchers: 200
Surface-to-surface missiles: 500
Surface-to-air missile launchers: 330+
Combat aircraft: 500+
Warships: 15
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