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

DATE: MONDAY, April 1, 1991                   TAG: 9104010037
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: IN THE EUPHRATES VALLEY, IRAQ                                LENGTH: Medium

U.S. TO START MAJOR PULLOUT IN IRAQ

In a thinning of its forces, the U.S. Army plans to begin within two weeks to withdraw about 20,000 troops in southern Iraq, roughly a quarter of its combat Senator, representative want U.S. to stop helicopter attacks on rebels. A10 forces there, Army commanders said Sunday.

The reason for the withdrawal, the officials said, was that Iraq's military had been so devastated by the Persian Gulf War that there was no longer any need for the large U.S. force deployed in Iraq.

In addition, a senior Army general said the withdrawing troops are needed in Europe and the United States so that they would be available for other possible military contingencies.

But the planned withdrawal is also consistent with the Bush administration's policy of not intervening in the rebellion in Iraq, despite the atrocities reported by refugees fleeing territory controlled by President Saddam Hussein.

The withdrawal, as planned, would seem to alleviate the pressure on Saddam, although military officials say that is not their goal.

As the U.S. officials discussed the withdrawal plan, the Iraqi government declared victory against Kurdish insurgents in northern Iraq and said it was mopping up the last major rebel forces in the north.

In Washington, Pentagon officials said the orders stemmed from the fact that a formal United Nations cease-fire resolution was probably days away, but also that Iraq's military is a far less significant threat today than last month, when a tentative cease-fire went into effect.

The resolution being developed by the United Nations Security Council offers Iraq a cease-fire as soon as it agrees to accept all its provisions, thus ending any possibility the allies might intervene on the side of the rebels.

It would also permit Saddam to raise his people's living standards and fight on against rebels.

So far, Saddam has accepted all previous Security Council demands in order to secure the present suspension of allied attacks.

But some diplomats at the U.N. question whether he will agree so easily this time.

Meanwhile, U.S. officers expressed confidence about reducing their forces here.

"We can hang on to that little piece of Iraq with less than a corps," one Army official said.

by CNB