Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 19, 1991 TAG: 9102190252
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From Cox News Service and The Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Long
"The war goes on," spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said after Bush and his top war advisers met for more than two hours to study a description of the plan from Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
A German newspaper reported that Gorbachev was calling for an unconditional Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. In return, the Soviets would seek assurances that Saddam was not harmed personally or Iraq's borders altered.
At the Kremlin on Monday, Gorbachev outlined the plan to Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz, who is to relay it to Saddam today. A Gorbachev spokesman said Moscow expects a quick response.
"There's no change on the basis of what we know at this point," Fitzwater said, pledging that Bush would review Gorbachev's ideas closely. Fitzwater declined to characterize the plan, noting that Bush had agreed to Gorbachev's request that details be kept confidential.
At the war front, the U.S.-led military campaign showed additional signs of gearing up for a ground offensive that is widely viewed as imminent if the Gorbachev initiative fails.
"We are prepared to attack, if necessary, tomorrow," said Brig. Gen. Daniel Gazeau, deputy commander of the French contingent.
The allies were ready, too, to defend against any Iraqi pre-emptive attack aimed at disrupting their plans. "Most of us believe he [Saddam] will try it," said Marine Col. Carl Fulford. "What option is left to him at this stage?"
At sea, two U.S. warships were damaged as they struck mines in the northern Persian Gulf, the region near the Kuwaiti beaches that would be the site of an expected allied amphibious assault. One of the ships, the USS Tripoli, was loaded with helicopters that could be used to land Marine forces as part of a major offensive.
A few hours later, the USS Princeton, a high-tech missile cruiser, also struck a mine and was forced to reduce its power by half because of the damage.
In all, seven sailors were injured in the two explosions - one seriously. The ships were said to be in no danger of sinking.
Marine Brig. Gen. Richard Neal, briefing reporters in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, confirmed "a lot of mine-laying activity in the northern Arabian Gulf" by the Iraqis.
In Moscow, Gorbachev spent more than three hours with Aziz before the Iraqi diplomat headed back to Baghdad.
Gorbachev spokesman Vitaly Ignatenko would give no details of the proposal except to say it was "fully in line with the Soviet position that there should be an unconditional withdrawal from Kuwait."
The German newspaper Bild, citing informed sources, said that the Soviets were calling for Iraq to retreat from Kuwait without conditions but that Saddam would be assured of no reprisals against him personally.
Also, the paper said the Soviets supported maintaining the "national structure and the borders of Iraq" and oppose "all sanctions" against Iraq or its leader.
In what could be the most contentious point, the plan is said to promise that other issues, including the plight of Palestinians living in Israeli-occupied territories, would be negotiated.
U.S. officials have adamantly rejected any direct linking of the Iraqi removal from Kuwait to attempts to resolve the Palestinian problem. The United States has supported the concept of a general peace conference on the Mideast to take up the Palestinian concerns at an unspecified future date.
Bombardment of Iraqi positions was unabated, as the allied forces announced they had completed 80,000 sorties during 33 days of the Persian Gulf War.
A U.S. military spokesman reported that ground troops were participating in "aggressive patrols" and continuing to take prisoners along the 650-mile Saudi border with southern Iraq and occupied Kuwait.
Military briefers announced that one U.S. F-16 warplane was lost overnight, but its pilot was recovered unharmed. The jet was the 21st U.S. plane to be lost in combat in the Persian Gulf War.
U.S. forces spokesman Neal described a daring rescue by the "unsung heroes" of the combat search-and-rescue teams who went 40 miles into Iraqi-held territory to extract the pilot. Neal said it was uncertain whether his plane had been shot down before he parachuted out north of the Saudi border.
Senior U.S. naval officers said in 1988 that as many as 200 mines might still be in the northern gulf. Now, U.S. military sources say they believe Iraq is once again using mines against the more than 100 coalition vessels in the waterway.
Military officials said Saudi, British and U.S. minesweepers have begun clearing suspected minefields in the northern gulf. The sources said the vessels, built mainly of wood or plastic to avoid damage by magnetic mines, are concentrating on areas that might be crucial to any amphibious landing.
by CNB