Al Moqatel - الصراع بين العراق والكويت

Iraq must remove all explosives or booby traps, including those on Kuwaiti oil installations, and designate Iraqi military liaison officers to work with Kuwaiti and other coalition forces on the operational details related to Iraq's withdrawal, to include the provision of all data on the location and nature of any land or sea mines.

Iraq must cease combat aircraft flights, over Iraq and Kuwait, except for transport aircraft carrying troops out of Kuwait, and allow coalition aircraft exclusive control over and use of all Kuwaiti air space.

It must cease all destructive actions against Kuwaiti citizens and property and release all Kuwaiti detainees.

The United States and its coalition partners reiterate that their forces will not attack retreating Iraqi forces; and further, will exercise restraint so long as withdrawal proceeds in accordance with the above guidelines and there are no attacks on other countries.

Any breach of these terms will ring an instant and sharp response from coalition forces in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 678.

That's the conclusion of our prepared statement. Let me just add a couple of points. First of all, that a copy of this document was provided to Iraqi diplomats here in Washington about noon today. President Bush and Secretary Baker spoke with President Gorbachev for over an hour and 15 minutes this morning to discuss this situation.

Secretary Baker spoke with Soviet foreign ministry officials both yesterday and today. And we have consulted with all of our allies and coalition partners last night or this morning. The coalition remains strong and united.

	Q:	Are these ultimatums being made after consultation with the allies, or on behalf of the allies?
	A:	After consultation with the allies. We've had extensive discussion all through the night last night and this morning.
	Q:	What is in this, if anything, for Saddam Hussein?
	A:	A chance to save his country and to do the thing he should have done the day after he went in on August 2.
	Q:	This is a change of signals. In the past, you've talked about Saddam leaving unconditionally. You've now said I count seven conditions here. In the past, you would halt the fighting if a massive withdrawal is underway. Now you say if any of these - any breach if these seven are violated that you would continue fighting.
	A:	This is the criteria to be used in judging unconditional withdrawal. The UN resolutions are very clear that Saddam Hussein must get out of Kuwait unconditionally. We want to be equally clear in saying that these are the minimum kinds of actions that he needs to take to comply with those resolutions, to indeed get out of Kuwait unconditionally.

(USIS, New Delhi)

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