Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 4, 1991 TAG: 9103040056
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"I don't want them embarrassed," the chief commander of the 28-nation, anti-Iraq coalition said. "I don't want to see pictures of them being searched."
Wait until they get inside the sentry-filled tent, Schwarzkopf directed, before putting the metal detector to them.
Thus the eight Iraqi military men were spared one final, very public loss of face at this barren airstrip that Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard abandoned last week in the face of the hard-charging U.S. 1st Infantry Division.
Otherwise, the humiliation was complete.
The Big Red One, with support from other U.S. military elements, had arranged an extraordinary welcome for the enemy's military leaders.
As the Iraqis were slowly driven toward the large, olive-green meeting tent near the end of the runway, they passed scores of fully manned M-1A1 tanks, Apache helicopters, Bradley fighting vehicles and other machines of war - all pointed in their direction.
And then there was the large plywood sign that read: "Welcome to Iraq. Courtesy of the Big Red One," the nickname for the vaunted 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kan.
The massive show of force, one U.S. officer said, was intended "to convey the message that we control the situation."
The Iraqis had been told to come without weapons, that Schwarzkopf would guarantee their safe passage.
And so the Iraqis had arrived at the outskirts of the airfield unarmed, although no one seemed to know whether they had come from Baghdad or Basra, the wartime staging area less than 30 miles from here. The airfield is about eight miles north of Kuwait.
On their way in, they could see many anti-missile Patriot launchers - all pointing toward Baghdad.
Schwarzkopf reached the meeting by jet from Riyadh to Kuwait City. At the Kuwaiti capital's ravaged international airport, the general took off for Iraq in an armada of well-armed Blackhawk and Apache helicopters, Hellfire missiles at the ready.
He arrived just before 10 a.m., wearing his desert camouflage uniform, a pistol strapped to his left hip and a canteen on the right.
He went directly to his personal tent, where a red flag with four stars on it flapped vigorously in the warm desert air. From time to time, the general emerged to greet other allied military commanders.
The meeting in the desert, Schwarzkopf said, was intended to lay the foundations for a cease-fire. But it might as well have been a full surrender, for the Iraqis agreed to every coalition demand.
Before the talks began, at 11:30 a.m., Schwarzkopf told reporters, "This isn't a negotiation. It's purely a discussion. I don't think there's any question about it; I'm not here to give them anything."
The meeting took place inside a large tent with a plywood floor. On one side of the small, rectangular table sat Schwarzkopf and Lt. Gen. Khalid ibn Sultan, the Saudi prince who commands the joint Arab forces.
Across from them sat Lt. Gen. Sultan Hashim Ahmad, the Iraqi army deputy chief of staff, who led the enemy delegation, and Lt. Gen. Salah Abbud Mahmoud, an aide. The other six members of the Iraqi delegation sat behind them.
Until the Iraqis showed up, the allied commanders had no idea who Saddam would dispatch to the cease-fire talks. Even afterward, the allied commanders were not entirely certain. Said Lt. Gen. Peter de la Billiere, commander of the British forces in the Middle East, "I understand he was the deputy chief of staff, but I haven't actually confirmed that."
During the talks, Gen. de la Billiere and the commanders of the other coalition members sat behind Schwarzkopf and Khalid, as observers.
As the talks continued behind closed tent flaps, hundreds of GIs milled about, many with cameras in hand as well as their weapons, intent on capturing the historic event.
Shortly before the talks broke up for good, Schwarzkopf and Ahmad emerged, followed by a few aides, and they quickly ducked into Schwarkopf's personal tent next door. Ten minutes later, it was all over, and Schwarzkopf escorted Ahmad to a U.S. military vehicle, to be driven off the airfield.
Then Schwarzkopf and Prince Khalid held a news conference.
"I'm very happy to tell you that we agreed on all matters," Schwarzkopf said.
United Nations "Surrender Resolution"
Resolution requires Iraq to:
Return all prisoners of war, abducted Kuwaitis, and plundered property
Rescind annexation of Kuwait
Cease "hostile or provocative actions
Accept liability for war damages in Kuwait and elsewhere; help in rebuilding of Kuwait
Disclose the location of mine fields and booby traps
Resolution also:
States the U.S. and its allies intend to leave southern Iraq "as soon as possible" when Kuwait is stable and international peace and security is restored
Reaffirms all 12 council resolutions passed against Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait
Gives allies the right to resume military action against Iraq if it fails to comply with the demands
The five permanent members of the council are the United States, Soviet Union, Britain, France, and China. The 10 non-permanent members are Austria, Belgium, Cuba, Ecuador, India, Ivory Coast, Romania, Yemen, Zaire and Zimbabwe.
by CNB