TFKU01: SITREP NO. 6: IRAQ/KUWAIT TASK FORCE:

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