GULF WATCH: Day 117 : A daily briefing paper on developments in the crisis : Diplomatic Front:

The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council agreed on a January deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. But until the deadline, no military action would be taken against Iraq. The plan may be modified before it is formally presented as a resolution. Talks were under way on whether Jan. 1 or 15 would be set as the date after which military force could be used.

In an address to the Supreme Soviet in Moscow, Mikhail S. Gorbachev warned Saddam Hussein that his aggression against Kuwait will be punished and vowed that the alliance against Iraq will not be broken.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s finance minister, Sheik Ali al Khalifa al Sabah, said Iraq can resist the U.N. economic sanctions for a very long time because its centralized economy allows Hussein to shift resources easily.

Military Front:

The Army ordered 10,567 more military reservists to active duty, bringing to more than 90,000 the number of part-time soldiers, airmen and sailors activated by the Pentagon since early August.

In Saudi Arabia, two top British commanders predicted that allied forces would defeatIraqi forces in “days or weeks” if war breaks out. They said that additional ground forces on the way to the gulf will effectively counter Iraq’s current numerical superiority.

Hostage Front:

Saddam Hussein told the visiting relatives of three American hostages in Iraq that they are free to take their loved ones with them when they return home, Iraq’s official INA news agency reported. The announcement spurred new hope among 16 Americans who plan to visit Baghdad next week to provide comfort to their relatives.

The State Department restated its opposition to such trips.

U.S. Reservists Called Up: Army: 69,000

Marines: 10,800

Navy: 4,500

Air Force: 5,000

Coast Guard: 1,000