GULF WATCH: Day 103 : A daily briefing paper on developments in the crisis : Military Front:
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in published remarks that Egyptian troops would not enter Iraq but could move into Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. Mubarak also said he had told Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein that he would help arrange for Arab troops to separate Iraq and Kuwait and offered to mediate an Iraqi withdrawal.
In Washington, the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops said any war should be limited to avoid civilian casualties and urged diplomacy as an alternative.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department said its toll-free hot line is doing a brisk business handing out tips on what kind of treats are best to send troops in the Persian Gulf. The number is 1-800-535-4555.
Diplomatic Front:
Morocco’s call for an Arab summit on the Persian Gulf crisis received limited backing. Among those expressing support for the effort: Jordan, Mauritania, the Palestinian Liberation Organization and China.
Foreign ministers of the European Community urged their counterparts from five Arab countries to use any influence they have with Iraq to urge the unconditional release of hostages.
Political Front:
Members of Congress expressed increasing concern over the military buildup in the Persian Gulf. “If George Bush wants his presidency to die in the Arabian desert, he’s going at it very steadily,” Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.) said.
Bush’s spokesman quickly retorted, “Not a shot’s been fired. What are these guys talking about?” He also said that while the White House will work closely with Congress, it might be forced to order military action without congressional approval in the event of “unforeseen kinds of provocations.”
In Germany, analysts predicted that the fate of German hostages held in Iraq could become a major issue in the first all-German elections Dec. 2.
Major Contributors Pledging Persian Gulf Aid:
* Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates $7 billion
* Kuwait $5 billion
* Japan $4 billion
* Germany $2 billion
* European Community $2 billion
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