Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater's briefing
on 22 February 1991 ¹

         The Soviet announcement yesterday represents a serious and useflil effort, which is appreciated. But major obstacles remain. The coalition for many months has sought a peaceful resolution to this crisis in keeping with the UN resolutions. As President Bush pointed out to President Gorbachev, the steps the Iraqis are considering would constitute a conditional withdrawal and would also prevent the full implementation of relevant UN  Security Council resolutions. Also there is no indication that Iraq is prepared to withdraw immediately.

         Full compliance with the Security Council resolutions has been a consistent and necessary demand of the international community. The world must make sure that Iraq has, in fact, renounced its claim to Kuwait and accepted all relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

         Indeed, only the Security Council can agree to lift sanctions against Iraq, and the world needs to be assured in concrete terms of Iraq's peaceful intentions before such action can be taken. In a situation where sanctions have been lifted, Saddam Hussein could simply revert to using his oil resources once again, not to provide for the well-being of his people, but instead to rearm.

         So in a final effort to obtain Iraqi compliance with the will of the international community, the United States, after consulting with the government of Kuwait and her other coalition partners, declares that a ground campaign will not be initiated against Iraqi forces if, prior to noon, Saturday, February, 23, New York time, Iraq publicly accepts the following terms and authoritatively communicates that acceptance to the United Nations:

         First, Iraq must begin large-scale withdrawal from Kuwait by noon, New York time, Saturday, February 23. Iraq must complete military withdrawal from Kuwait in one week. Given the fact that Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait in a matter of hours, anything longer than this from the initiation of the withdrawal would not meet Resolution 660's requirement of immediacy.

         Within the first 48 hours, Iraq must remove all its forces from Kuwait City and allow for the prompt return of the legitimate government of Kuwait. It must withdraw from all prepared defenses along the Saudi-Kuwait and Saudi-Iraq borders, from Bubiyan and Warbah Islands, and from Kuwait's Rumaylah oil field within the one week specified above. Iraq must return all its forces to their positions of August 1, in accordance with Resolution 660.

         In cooperation with the International Red Cross, Iraq must release all prisoners of war and third country civilians being held against their will, and return the remains of killed and deceased servicemen. This action must commence immediately with the initiation of the withdrawal and must be completed within 48 hours.

1 A. G. Noorani, The Gulf Wars, Documents and Analysis, Konark Publishers PVT LTD, Delhi, 1991, pp. 321-323.

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