S E C R E T STATE 255723 TOSEC 140328

MOSCOW FOR DENNIS ROSS/ ALSO PLS PASS SECRETARY PARTY

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL MOPS IZ KU US
SUBJECT: TFKU01: SITREP NO. 6: IRAQ/KUWAIT TASK FORCE:
SITUATION AS OF 0530 EDT, 08/03/90


1. (CONFIDENTIAL) EMBASSIES KUWAIT AND ABU DHABI HAVE
REPORTS THAT IRAQI FORCES ON THE STREETS ARE SELECTING
AMERICAN, BRITISH, AND OTHER EUROPEANS AND TAKING THEM
OUT OF TOWN ON BUSES, POSSIBLY TO BAGHDAD. EMBASSY
BAGHDAD IS TAKING UP THE MATTER AT THE IRAQI FOREIGN
MINISTRY. DESPITE CNN REPORTS THAT IRAQIS HOLD ONLY
THREE 3 AMCITS, VARIOUS SOURCES HAVE REPORTED A TOTAL OF
6 TO 14 AMERICANS IN IRAQI HANDS. (RIYADH 6078, TASK
FORCE)


2. (SECRET) DESPITE THE OVERWHELMING ODDS, THE KUWAITIS
ARE STILL PUTTING UP RESISTANCE. A STORY CIRCULATING IN
KUWAIT DESCRIBES HOW A GUARD AT THE KUWAITI AIRBASE.
WHEN THE IRAQIS ARRIVED, MANAGED TO STALL THEM SO THE
KUWAITI PILOTS COULD GET INTO THE AIR AND STRAFE THE
IRAQIS BEFORE THE PILOTS FLED TO SAUDI ARABIA OR
ELSEWHERE. (EMBASSY KUWAIT TELCON)


3. (CONFIDENTIAL) THERE ARE REPORTS OF FIGHTING IN SOME
RESIDENTIAL AREAS. SEVERAL SHORT ROUNDS HAVE IMPACTED
NEAR THE EMBASSY COMPOUND. A STEADY FLOW OF IRAQI
RESUPPLY TRUCKS WAS VISIBLE FROM THE COMPOUND. (KUWAIT
TDFIRDB-315/20191-90, KUWAIT 4431, TELECON WITH EMBASSY
KUWAIT)


4. (CONFIDENTIAL) AMBASSADOR HOWELL WANTS TO BEGIN
PLANNING FOR AN ORDERED DRAWDOWN OF OFFICIAL PERSONNEL
AND EVACUATION OF UNOFFICIAL AMCITS DESIRING TO LEAVE.
UNTIL SOME AUTHORITY HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY IRAQIS OR
KUWAITIS, THE SITUATION IS TOO FLUID TO ATTEMPT A
DRAWDOWN. (KUWAIT 4430)


5. (UNCLASSIFIED) KUWAIT RADIO, AS RECENTLY AS MIDNIGHT
EDT, WAS SENDING DESPERATE APPEALS TO ITS EMBASSIES
WORLDWIDE, ASKING THEM TO SEEK INTERNATIONAL HELP.
(FBIS LONDON)


6. (CONFIDENTIAL) BAGHDAD IS QUIET. FOREIGN MINISTRY
UNDERSECRETARY HAMDOUN TOLD US HE HAS NO INFORMATION ON
AMCITS REPORTEDLY DETAINED BY IRAQI TROOPS. IRAQI
NEWSPAPERS ARE REPORTING THAT IRAQ HAS SUSPENDED ALL
REPAYMENT OF US LOANS. (TELCON WITH BAGHDAD)


EAGLEBURGER