Steaks, No Spirits for Desert New Year

The Scots dined on haggis, the French had foie gras and the Americans enjoyed steak and a radio special by comedian Robin Williams. But New Year celebrations for the gulf troops were generally low-key.

The important date for the troops is Jan. 15, the U.N. deadline for Iraq to get out of Kuwait or face a possible military strike to drive it from the emirate.

Although soldiers yearned for a cup of kindness, New Year’s was nonalcoholic because of Saudi Arabia’s strict Muslim ban on liquor.

“There’s no booze. What are you going to do? Have another Coke?” said Marine Col. M. L. Haiman, 49, of the Bronx, N.Y. “People have their eye on the 15th of January.”

The troops in the multinational force have been on heightened alert throughout the holidays in case Iraqi President Saddam Hussein launches a preemptive strike.

“It’s a prime time for the other side to come after us, on our holidays when they think our guard might slip. If they think that, they’re wrong,” Haiman said.

The only official celebrations were by the about 3,000 men of the Scottish regiments in the British 1st Armored Division, made up of the 4th Armored Brigade and the 7th Armored Brigade, the famed Desert Rats.

“All the Scots will want to celebrate Hogmanay,” said division spokesman Capt. James Myles, using the Scottish term for the holiday.

The Scots ate a traditional meal of haggis and mashed turnips, ushered into the camps by bagpipes. Haggis is made of the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep or calf, minced with onions and oatmeal and boiled in the stomach of an animal.

The 6,000 French troops toasted with “Saudi champagne”--a mixture of apple juice and Perrier.

“Our own costs a lot more, but for that we’ll have to wait for our return,” said Adjutant Robert Simon, spokesman for the French forces.

Special food like chocolate and foie gras--duck liver pate--had been flown in from France, he said.

Many U.S. troops said they had not even thought about the holiday due to their fierce training schedules, but there were some small celebrations.

Many units barbecued steaks left over from Christmas.

“I’m going to get myself a six-pack of near-beer and have a near-party and sit around and play some cards,” said Staff Sgt. David Hebert, 30, of Brickton, N.J., in the 3rd Platoon of the Army’s 595th Medical Company.

Many troops planned to tune in to a Robin Williams special, prerecorded for the Armed Forces Radio Network.

Williams, re-enacting his radio role of Adrian Kronauer in the film “Good Morning, Vietnam,” yelled, “Good Maaawwwrning, Saaauuudi” and then told jokes like, “Is it just me, or does Yasser Arafat look like Ringo Starr?”