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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 27, 1991                   TAG: 9103270278
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

U.S. WON'T AID REBELS INSIDE IRAQ

The White House said publicly that it will stay out of Iraq's internal strife despite reports of atrocities by Saddam's forces. A senior official said the American military has no plans to act against Iraq for using combat helicopters against the insurgents. The United States acknowledges that Iraq has defied its warning not to use helicopters.

The decision against protecting Iraqi rebel forces reflects a conclusion that the insurgents cannot control all of Iraq and would only succeed in fracturing the country, officials said.

Bush also believes an overt move to support the rebels would be opposed by Washington's Arab allies, stir up domestic political opposition and spoil hopes for progress on other regional issues, a senior official said.

That policy was reaffirmed Tuesday at a meeting of Bush's top military and national security advisers, officials said, where they also completed preparations for a cease-fire resolution to be offered to the United Nations Security Council this week.

The Associated Press quoted diplomats as saying that the four other Security Council members with veto power had reached broad agreement on the resolution.

It demands the destruction of Iraq's chemical, biological and nuclear arms under U.N. supervision and continues to prohibit conventional arms purchases. The Soviets still oppose some provisions, including a plan to attach a percentage of Iraq's future oil revenues and designate them to a U.N. fund to pay compensation to Kuwait and other nations, the diplomats said.