GULF WATCH: Day 163 : A Daily Briefing Paper On Developments In The Crisis

International Front:

Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev telephoned President Bush to propose what Bush later called “innovative” ideas for resolving the Persian Gulf crisis. At Gorbachev’s suggestion, Bush met with Soviet Ambassador Alexander A. Bessmertnykh to continue the discussion. The President declined to reveal details.

U.N. Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar met with European Community leaders before leaving for Baghdad, where he will hold talks today with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in an effort to avert war. The European ministers advocated a comprehensive Middle East solution to the crisis.

Secretary of State James A. Baker III is scheduled to discuss the crisis today with Syrian President Hafez Assad in Cairo. Baker told U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia that “we pass the brink” of war at midnight Tuesday, the deadline for an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait.

Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger will travel to Israel this weekend to urge restraint on the part of Israeli leaders should war break out in the region. The U.S. Embassy in Israel urged all American citizens, including diplomatic dependents, to leave the country as soon as possible.

The State Department said it has proof that Iraqi-supported terrorists are planning attacks around the world should war in the Mideast occur. The government ordered the fingerprinting and photographing of everyone entering the United States on Iraqi or Kuwaiti passports.

Domestic Front:

Both houses of Congress are expected to vote today to authorize President Bush to initiate military action if Iraq remains in Kuwait after Tuesday’s deadline. Bush engaged in a personal lobbying effort on the eve of the vote, summoning lawmakers to the White House to seek their support. It appeared that the House and Senate would reject a competing, Democratic-sponsored resolution calling for continued reliance on sanctions.

Eleven anti-war protesters were arrested after interrupting a speech by Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.) by chanting “Don’t Vote for World War III” and “No Blood for Oil, No War for Bush.”

The cost of Operation Desert Shield stood at about $10 billion as of the end of December, and U.S. allies are expected to cover about 80% of that total, the White House said. Key U.S. Warship Deployments:

Battleship Wisconsin, Persian Gulf

Battleship Missouri, Persian Gulf

Aircraft carrier Midway, Arabian Sea

Aircraft carrier Saratoga, Red Sea

Aircraft carrier John Kennedy, Red Sea

Aircraft carrier America, Mediterranean Sea

Aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, Mediterranean Sea

Aircraft carrier Ranger, Indian Ocean