GULF WATCH: Day 142 : A Daily Briefing Paper on Developmemts in the Crisis
Military Front: American forces in Saudi Arabia went on heightened alert as Israel, and possibly Iraq as well, conducted missile tests. Israel launched a Jericho-2 missile. There were reports that Iraq tested a Soviet-made Scud missile, but that could not be confirmed. The Israeli test caused some confusion among U.S. commanders, who initially were uncertain about the missile’s origin.
In Saudi Arabia, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Colin L. Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited U.S. troops and pledged that American soldiers will not be constrained if fighting begins.
Diplomatic Front: Secretary of State James A. Baker III met with British Prime Minister John Major and told reporters he is no longer optimistic the gulf crisis will be resolved peacefully. The visit by Major, who will meet with President Bush today, was his first since succeeding Margaret Thatcher.
In another Administration statement, National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft said that, although Jan. 15 is not “attack day” for U.S. forces, the United States is “not blinking now and we will not blink” in the confrontation with Saddam Hussein.
Hussein said in an interview with a German television network that the United States cannot fight a prolonged war and would give up after sustaining 5,000 casualties. “When 5,000 Americans have fallen, (President) Bush will have to end such a war, not because they (the troops) are bad, but because he is a bad leader,” Hussein said. But he said: “The door for dialogue remains open.”
Political Front: House Speaker Thomas S. Foley said in a breakfast interview with reporters that President Bush would not receive overwhelming endorsement for use of force against Iraq if he put the question to Congress now. He said the authorization would pass, but by a close enough vote to indicate significant dissension.
Increase in Egyptian Force Deployed in Gulf:
* Additional troops: 5,000
* Additional tanks: 92
* Total force: 27,000
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