
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 7, 1991                   TAG: 9102070378
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

BAKER: IRAQ WILL RECEIVE POSTWAR AID

Secretary of State James Baker, looking beyond a conflict that will bring "great hardships," promised Wednesday that Iraq would be included in postwar recovery and regional security efforts and hinted that it could be spared heavy reparations costs if it capitulates.

He also assured Iran that it would be a major player in the Persian Gulf region.

"No regional state should be excluded" from a network of strengthened security ties in the area, Baker said. "Postwar Iraq could have an important contribution to play. And so could Iran as a major power in the gulf."

He said that "no one should forget that for the second time in a decade the people of Iraq will be recovering from a disastrous conflict."

"The time of reconstruction and recovery should not be the occasion for vengeful actions against a nation forced to war by a dictator's ambition. The secure and prosperous future everyone hopes to see in the gulf must include Iraq," he said.

Giving Congress his first outline of plans to restore regional stability, Baker cautioned that "the war itself and the way it ends will greatly influence both the security of the gulf and the rest of the area."

"The deepest passions have been stirred. The military actions now under way necessarily involve many casualties, great hardships and growing fears for the future. So tough times lie ahead," he said.

Baker's testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee had two aims:

It sought to assure a Congress anxious about a bloody ground war that the outcome will be worth it in terms of regional stability and prevention of future wars.

It told restive Arab and Muslim populations that the United States has no claim to regional hegemony and is not out to destroy Iraq, but will work to improve the area's economy and promote peace among Israel, Arab states and Palestinians.

Baker did not say if the prospect of postwar assistance to Iraq applied if Saddam remained in power, but his comments seemed to anticipate Saddam's departure.

by CNB