TKFU01: SITREP NO. 20 IRAQ-KUWAIT TASK FORCE,

S E C R E T STATE 260064 E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR TAGS: PREL MOPS IZ KU US SUBJECT: TKFU01: SITREP NO. 20 IRAQ-KUWAIT TASK FORCE, SITUATION AS OF 0800 EDT, 08/07/90 ¶1. (S) CHARGE WILSON MET WITH IRAQI MFA IN BAGHDAD AND WAS TOLD IRAQIS WOULD ALLOW DEPARTURE OF OFFICIAL AMCIT PERSONNEL ON THURSDAY MORNING AUG. 9. CHARGE REQUESTED THAT BORDER BE OPENED TO ALLOW DEPARTURE OF NON-OFFICIAL AMCITS AND WAS TOLD BY UNDERSEC HAMDUN THAT BORDERS WOULD REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL AREA TENSIONS HAD LESSENED. CHARGE REPLIED THAT THE PREVIOUS DAY SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD SAID THE SITUATION WAS SECURE. HAMDUN SAID "INFLAMMATORY, STATEMENTS BY U.S. OFFICIALS HAD AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION AND THAT THE U.S. COULD TAKE ACTION TO LESSEN THE TENSION WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE BORDERS TO REOPEN. THIS RESPONSE INDICATES A TOUGHENING OF IRAQ'S POSITION. (TELCON WILSON, 0300 EDT). ¶2. (S) THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTED THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD WARNED THE AMERICAN CHARGE THAT IF SAUDI ARABIA WERE TO SHUT DOWN OIL PIPELINES IRAQ WOULD ATTACK SAUDI ARABIA. CHARGE WILSON REPORTED THAT THE IRAQIS WERE FURIOUS OVER THE STORY. (WASHINGTON POST. 08/07/90; TELCON EMBASSY BAGHDAD 0350 EDT). ¶3. (C) CONFIRMATION WAS RECEIVED THAT A NUMBER OF AMCITS HAD ARRIVED AT RASHID HOTEL, BAGHDAD. AN EMBASSY OFFICER IS AT HOTEL TO REGISTER AMCITS. LATER TELCON PUT THE NUMBER AT 35 AMCITS, SOME OF WHOM ARE FROM BA ¶149. (TELCONS 0337 AND 0445 EDT WITH EMBASSY BAGHDAD). ¶4. (S) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHENEY IS PROCEEDING TO CARO AUGUST 7 FOR MEETINGS WITH MUBARAK. UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WOLFOWITZ AND STATE ASST. SECRETARY CLARKE WILL TRAVEL TO BAHRAIN AUG. 8 TO CONSULT WITH BAHRAIN GOVERNMENT ON JOINT DEFENSE ACTIVITY. (TELCON EMBASSY CAIRO, 0450 EDT; PM). ¶5. (C) EMBASSY KUWAIT REPORTS THAT THE SITUATION AUGUST 7 REMAINS GENERALLY QUIET. THE EMBASSY EXPECTS TO HAVE ALL OFFICIAL AMERICANS IN THE EMBASSY COMPOUND BY THE END OF THE DAY. (TELCON. CROCKER-BODIN, 0502 EDT). ¶6. (U) MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. BAKER