The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 4

A-4From Page A-1 the Cincinnati enquirer Saturday. August 4, 1990 twelve emir's palace as the helicopter-borne commandos sought to storm the residence, killing, among others, the emir's brother. 7:30 a.m.: Iraq has palace Kuwait Radio broadcast an SOS, but the end was near. By 7:30 a.m., reports circulated through the city that Iraq had won control of the emir's palace. Although sporadic shots still sounded in Kuwait city, by mid-morning Thursday the scene at busy intersections made clear that the blitzkrieg had passed.

The Iraqis, victorious invaders, were directing traffic. just after 3 a.m. Hundreds of tanks, armored personnel carriers and trucks, carrying tens of thousands of troops bore southward. Fighters streaked through the sky, ready to overwhelm any resistance the ground troops might find. It took 3'2 hours for the ground troops to reach Kuwait City, not because of resistance, but because tanks are slow even on superhighways.

5:30 a.m.: Bombs in capital The pace only delayed the inevitable. Rockets and bombs began to strike key targets in the capital just before 5:30 a.m. A fierce battle broke out in the grounds of the and in 16 days of orchestrated escalation, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had made that connection explicit. Even before the negotiations collapsed, more than 100,000 Iraqi troops had massed along Kuwait's border. He meant to have his way.

Most experts including top U.S. officials dismissed the show of force as saber rattling. But they now think that Hussein may already have made up his mind. Certainly. 'the 130,000 Iraqi soldiers massed along the border by midnight Thursday had been told what they were to do.

3 a.m.: Attack ordered The orders came by moonlight, thrown, an army vanquished, and Iraqi soldiers, dismounted at last, patrolled the streets of a nation that gave Iraqi President Saddam Hussein control over one-fifth the world's supply of oil. The sudden attack Thursday came only a few hours after an Iraqi official stomped out of a negotiating session in Saudi Arabia, complaining that his Kuwaiti counterpart had not been serious in resolving issues that divided them. On its surface, the dispute was over oil: its price, its production, even where it was drilled, with Iraq accusing Kuwait of having stolen oil that was rightfully Iraq's. But oil also confers power particularly in the Persian Gulf armored column let fly with overwhelming firepower, leaving behind dozens of Kuwaiti casualties as it rolled unchecked along its way. This was blitzkrieg at its bluntest, an offensive that demonstrated anew how force trumps all rules.

The thrust was so overwhelming that Iraq's massive firepower was scarcely needed: There was almost no significant resistance. U.S. planners had hoped a Kuwaiti force might hold off an attack for 48 hours; instead, the Kuwaitis lasted seven. 1 2-hour takeover Twelve hours after the invasion began, an emir had been over BY DOUGLAS JEHL Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON It was a nightmare come to life, 350 tanks and 100,000 Iraqi troops suddenly rumbling into Kuwait on a highway built from petrodollars. So unexpected was the attack that it caught the border virtually unguarded; not one of Kuwait's 35 air force planes took to the sky.

Battle-hardened Iraqi soldiers, prepared to dismount and fight, met so little opposition that few left their vehicles until they reached the capital. One Kuwaiti checkpoint sought to stand its ground. But as Iraqi fighters roared overhead, the lead Air strikes are on list of military options i 1 -T 4 7 Pentagon opposes Next battle for Saudi support Iraq hopes to force oil prices higher BY THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN The New York Times I WASHINGTON With Iraq having overrun Kuwait, the crisis in the Persian Gulf appears to be turning into a struggle between the United States and Iraq for influence over Saudi Arabia and its oil. The invasion has put the cautious Saudi monar Analysis U.S.

deployment of ground forces BY MOLLY MOORE The Washington Post WASHINGTON Pentagon leaders Friday offered President Bush a list of military options for repelling a possible Iraqi invasion into Saudi Arabia that included U.S. air attacks against Iraqi military forces and critical targets inside Iraq, but did not recommend a large deployment of ground forces to the region, according to Pentagon officials. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Colin Powell proposed plans designed to bolster Saudi Arabia's relatively small military force if the Iraqi troops in Kuwait spill over the border into neighboring Saudi Arabia. U.S.

military plans also include efforts to intimidate Iraq by striking key sites inside the country, such as the capital city of Baghdad, officials said. Military leaders prepared the attack plans as concerns heightened over Iraq's extensive resupply and reorganization of forces inside the tiny nation of Kuwait, leaving the troops well-prepared for an expanded assault into Saudi Arabia. "They have the capability to do it (invade) at this moment," one Pentagon official said Friday. Most of the troops were south and southwest of the Kuwaiti capital Friday, about 10 miles from the Saudi Arabian border, officials said. In event of an attack on Saudi Arabia, the United States could deploy F-15 and F-16 fighters from bases in Spain and West Germany, F-lll bombers from airstrips in England and F-14 fighter planes and A-6 bombers off the carrier Independence which is scheduled to arrive in the region by late Sunday, officials said.

In addition, the Strategic Air Command's B-52 long-range bomber force, deployed at air bases in the United States, has conducted bombing exercises in the 4jmi aw -7-rr n- The Associated Press bin bines Right squadron members load supplies aboard the Saratoga for the Mediterranean. The battle groups had been Friday in the aircraft carrier home port in Mayport, Fla. The scheduled to relieve ships already in the area, but the Navy Saratoga is one of 1 5 naval vessels that will leave next week now plans to keep all the ships there. numbers of troops or aircraft in the Middle East because of regional sensitivities to outside military presence. U.S.

military air support would come only at the request of the Saudis, who would be required to provide landing rights for the American planes, military authorities said. at least 45 days to fully assemble. Pentagon officials said they would need a 2 to 1 troop ratio against Iraq "to be credible." Pentagon officials also said the military has no plans to alert airborne or light infantry divisions for possible deployment. The United States has no significant chy in precisely the sort of spot it has always avoided, forcing it either to confront Iraq or to acquiesce to the invasion and the prospect of continuing intimidation by Baghdad. This choice is linked to the question of whether the Saudis are prepared to change the nature of their relationship with Washington by granting U.S.

forces access to Saudi territory and bases. Saudi Arabia cannot defend itself against Iraq without the help of the United States, and the United States cannot easily protect its interests in the region without the public acceptance of the Saudis. Saudi Arabia has always been more of a company than a country, shunning conflict with enemies and preferring to buy them off rather than confront them. It may no longer have that luxury. The way Saudi Arabia uses its excess capacity in the near future may determine whether Iraq profits from its invasion or finds that it has gained territory and oil wells but not the revenue bonanza it anticipated.

The Iraqis by themselves can cause only a temporary rise in oil prices by limiting production and withholding Kuwait's normal output. Iraqi and Kuwaiti production is 4.5 million barrels of crude a day. That is roughly equal to the unused capacity of the rest of OPEC combined, so the other countries could easily make up for any Iraqi-induced shortfall. Saudi Arabia controls half of OPEC's excess capacity, 2.2 million barrels a day. "That means that if Saddam Hussein can invade or intimidate the Saudis into not bringing their excess capacity to market," said Patrick Clawson of the Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, "then over a three- to five-year period there will be enough of a shortage on the world market to substantially drive up oil prices, which is what he is after." With Iraqi troops on the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia border, U.S.

and Arab officials fear Hussein may be setting his sights on Saudi oil policy, if not Saudi oil itself. A top U.S. concern is that without even firing a shot Hussein will make the Saudis an offer they can't refuse: go along with Iraq's oil pricing policies, or else. Egyptian desert in recent years and could be deployed for a major operation. Military leaders have recommended against sending U.S.

ground forces to the Mideast because the effort to ship enough troops and armor from the United States and other regions to the area could require Iraq Is W- partment raised concern about' 14 Americans missing from three different oil fields near the Iraq-Kuwait border. "We can't confirm they're in Iraqi control, but we believe they are," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. Arab sources in Dubai said the Iraqis had taken the Americans to restart large oil refineries shut down because of the invasion. Kuwait's borders remained sealed Friday, and Iraqi troops reportedly still were battling pockets of resistance from Kuwait's military force. statement condemning the invasion and demanding withdrawal.

Seven of the Arab nations or groups Iraq. Libya, Jordan, Sudan, Yemen, Djibouti and the Palestine Liberation Organization abstained. Arab leaders announced plans for an emergency meeting Sunday in Saudi Arabia, and Reuters news agency reported that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would attend. King Hussein of Jordan met with Iraq's Hussein Friday in Baghdad, but details of the discussion were not disclosed. The Jordanian leader urged the United States not to intervene militarily.

Meanwhile, the State De CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1 urging all nations to halt arms shipments to Iraq. The statement by Secretary of State James Baker and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze was the first time the superpowers had joined on the same side of a Mideast dispute. Iraq's announcement of the planned pullout was made over Baghdad Radio, monitored in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It offered no timetable. The withdrawal announcement was issued in the midst of a growing international outcry against the invasion.

In Cairo several hours earlier, foreign ministers of the 21-meniber Arab League issued a Tho AcQnriatorl Prns; YurchenitO James Baker, left, and Eduard Shevardnadze meet in Moscow Friday to issue a joint condemnation of Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Hooker If you go TODAY: Parade begins at 10 a.m. at Fifth and Plum streets, downtown. Opening ceremonies at noon at Bicentennial Commons at Sawyer Point, on the riverfront. Displays and discussions on various issues from 1 to 6 p.m.

along the riverfront at Yeatman's Cove and Bicentennial Commons. Concerts from 6 to 9 p.m. on the riverfront, with bands including Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and Roger and the Zapp Band. SUNDAY Exhibits from 2 to 5 p.m. along the riverfront.

Ecumenical worship service and gospel concert from 5 to 7 p.m. on the riverfront. mingham, Ala. Bonwit Teller, B. Altman and Sakowitz as well as LJ Hooker have sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors.

Hooker has been trying to sell the struggling Forest Fair Mall for $200 million. Palmer, the Hooker spokesman, rejected as speculation a suggestion that Hooker may be threatening going-out-of-business sales to put pressure on its banks. "I don't think that (having an option to hold sales) is going to fool the bank one way or the other," retail analyst Chris Ohlinger said. "But it serves the purpose of jolting sales," said Ohlinger, president of Service Industry Research Systems in Cincinnati. He called the going-out-of-business sale a "very effective way" to increase short-term sales and said he didn't know of a lot of retailers who do not act on court permission to have such sales.

A retailer can have a going-out-of-business sale without actually going out of business, the analyst said. Bit LJ Hooker officials also have asked to get out of the three stores' lease agreements when the sales are finished. lin left open the question of whether all government offices would move there. "The capital of Germany is Berlin. The question of the seat of government will be settled after unification," the statement said.

The terse declaration, which is expected to win easy approval in both countries' parliaments, is unlikely to calm the storm surrounding the capital. East Germans, joined by the West Berlin government, are demanding the entire government return to the historic capital of Germany and Prussia. Others object, with some saying that Berlin's shameful, 12-year tenure as the seat of Nazi tyranny tainted the city in the world's eyes. In another development. West Germany's defense minister said West German officers will run what is now the East German military after unification.

Defense Minister Gerhard Stol-tenberg said West German officer? would take charge of East German units in a unified army. He also said the future army will be made up of 320.000 of the current West German armed forces with 50.000 from the East German military. Germanys CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1 East Germans continue to seek relief by moving to West Germany in large numbers. The de Maiziere government has been pressing Bonn for up to $25 billion. This has already alarmed large numbers of West Germans, and Bonn politicians have spent much of the week decrying the East German demands for emergency assistance.

It is not clear that moving up the elections is a sure thing. The Dec. 2 date was informally approved by political groups in both Germanys. and it may take complicated parliamentary maneuvering to move up the vote. In Moscow, Soviet Foreign Ministry spokesman Yuri Gremitsky said the call for early elections was an "unexpected turn" that could disrupt international talks on German unity.

The Soviet Union has. been East Germany's largest military and trading partner. The decision on making Berlin the new capital came as negotiators for the two Germanys ironed out remaining points of joining the two countries. The announcement in East Ber- CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1 Elder-Beerman chairman, said. "We saw the handwriting on the wall that (the stores) eventually would go out of business.

They're not successful." But he would not say when his company will officially dispute the possibility of a liquidator for its fellow Forest Fair tenants. Parisian and Elder-Beerman department stores and a Biggs grocery store are doing well as anchors, said Pierre Wevers, Biggs' chief operating officer. He said his store is bringing traffic into the mall because of its warehouse concept and is seeing double-digit sales increases. If Sakowitz, B. Altman and Bon-wit Teller have to close, it is because "they're not playing their role as anchor," he said.

He doesn't think those stores' hard times reflect on all the anchors. Parisian officials have not had a chance to examine how the possible closing of the three Hooker-owned stores would affect the store's business there, said Harold Abrams, executive vice president at Parisian headquarters in Bir- Family CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1 together annually for what they call the "May party," to celebrate five of the family members' birthdays. "Closeness is what a family is all about," Tate said. But, Davis, of Mount Healthy, recognizes that the kind of togetherness her family shares is not common today. Her sister, Helen Lee of Carson, said, "Times have changed, but not for the better." The breakdown of family relation- ships is "why we have so many problems," Lee said.

The family members agreed that the reunion is a good way to promote a sense of caring, love and community. Another sister, Robbie Tolbert of Waco, Texas, said she is going to try to start a chapter of the National Council of Negro Women when she goes home. "An event like this helps you appreciate your cultural background," Tolbert said..