OCR Text |
Show Inside today: Nation World N.Y. building Studies canceled at Jerusalem Center for winter semester 1991 Page Saturday, December 8, 1990 Diplomats may leave Kuwait - WASHINGTON (AP) The United States announced Friday it will pull all diplomats out of its besieged embassy in Kuwait once American hos- tages leave the occupied Bheikdom. The U.S. envoy in Baghdad asked Iraq to waive exit formalities to speed hostage departures. The embassy in Kuwait City, cut off from food and water for months, has been kept staffed in defiance of Iraqi orders that all embassies there shut down. And it will be considered officially open even after the eight diplomats leave, said State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler. "We will expect Iraq to safeguard the premises until the legitimate government of Kuwait and our embassy staff return," she said. U.S. officials denied the decision was a concession to Iraqi demands that all embassies in Kuwait close. "This is a withdrawal in body, not in spirit," said one State Department official. "Our people there are humans, not symbols. We're doing what's best for them." (See EMBASSY, Page A2) top-ranki- MM r ii ;. & g....fla-- 1 J AP Laserphoto President Bush and Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez, right, review the troops Friday near Caracus. War threat remains, White House says CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -The White House warned Iraq Friday "there's no lessening in the threat of war" even with release of "There's no lessening in the threat of war," he said. "That threat exists just as strong as ever." American hostages. But, "Things are moving in the right direction," said presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater as President Bush arrived on the last stop of his South American tour. Bush came to Caracas to thank Venezuela for easing this fall's global oil crunch with increased production of crude. Fitzwater said the U.N. vote authorizing military action against Iraq "forced this series of events. It forced Saddam (Hussein) to make concrete changes." Iraq still must comply with United Nations demands for its withdrawal from Kuwait and fulfill all other conditions set forth by the world organization, Fitzwater said. salute as Bush received a he arrived in Caracas for talks with President Carlos Andres Per- On the hostages, Fitzwater said said the United States proposed to Baghdad flying all Americans out on planes chartered from Iraqi Airlines or from other companies, the same way more than 2,000 21-g- ez. As it has on each stop of his the Persian Gulf trip, crisis overshadowed events the day. week-lon- g Iraq's parliament overwhelmingly endorsed Saddam Hussein's order to release more than 8,000 foreign hostages. Among them are 900 Americans.' "We hope that some Americans will be able to come out tomorrow," Fitzwater said. Yet, Fitzwater said the crisis had not eased. other Americans have departed Iraq and Kuwait. As a backup, the government has been checking on the availability of U.S. airlines and charter planes, he said. Fitzwater said he believed that all Americans in Kuwait had been accounted for, and that the United States expects there will be no reprisals by Iraq against anyone who hid Americans in Kuwait. He expressed skepticism over Iraq's motives in freeing the hostages. "They have concluded that the hostages no longer work for them and that the issue works against them," he said. He said Baghdad, in promising to release the hostages, was trying t divide the global coalition against Iraq and "weaken the international will in the gulf." Caracas was the last stop on a week-lon- g tour to salute the emergence of democracy and economic reforms throughout the region. As in Chile, where guerrillas set off bombs and police d h student dem-(Se- e BUSH, Page A2) half-a-doz- tear-gasse- anti-Bus- Page B1 Page A3 50 Cents Issue No. 130, Provo, Utah reflect glllrate, Iraqi - ForIraq (AP) eign hostages gathered in a Baghdad hotel Friday to sip beer, celebrate their upcoming release and reflect on their montht in captivity. "A new character emerges with people who are faced with adversity," said Chris Mayer, 24, of England, who was held as a "human shield" at an Iraqi military base north of Baghdad. "I've had my feet on the ground but you really go through a period," said Robert Vinton, 58, a Santa Fe, N.M. businessman who was held at a base south of Baghdad. "I'll become a better person and a better husband after this," Vinton added, embracing his wife, Sue, who had traveled to Baghdad to try to free him. The celebration followed a vote by Iraq's parliament to endorse President Saddam Hussein's call to release all foreigners trapped in Iraq and occupied Kuwait since Iraq's Aug. 2 invasion. "It is a monumental occasion," said Vinton, who had been brought from the military base to a Baghdad hotel Wednesday to see his wife. She had come to Baghdad with other American and British women seeking freedom for their loved ones. Vinton and 50 to 60 American and British hostages and their wives cheered and toasted their promised freedom Friday at the hotel. "If you have your hands in the meat grinder and if you get them BAGHDAD, A3 Central Utah's Newspaper for 117 Years Dim advances in Cougar Classic BYU Boat overturns, 60 people drown 'whistling Dixie' Page A4 Sports treated extremely "We were well. They tried to get us everything we asked for," Guy Seago, 45, of Johnson City, Term., said of his guards. "They guys were very human. They provided us with what they could. They did their best," said Tallmadge Ledford, 45, of Win- - 5"? "My main complaint was the loss of freedom," said Ronald Ginn, 49, a computer consultant from Seattle who was held at two communications centers in Baghdad. ; He said his house in Kuwait was AP Laserphoto Hostage Angela Eliopoulos hugs her husband Paul, of Washington, D.C., as they sit with their friend Chris Komitis, right, in Bagdad Friday. out in one piece, how would you feel?" said Garry Carr, an oilwork-e- r from Fort Worth, Texas. Carr said Iraqi soldiers captured him in Kuwait in the first hours of the invasion, sent him to Baghdad and a few days later to a phosphate plant. The hostages had few complaints about their physical treatment, but they said Iraqi soldiers had stolen their belongings. stripped clean after the invasion and estimated he had lost $80,000 worth of property. Seago he and the 20 American, British and Japanese hostages held at an oil refinery in Basra built their own makeshift, nine-hol- e golf course to pass the time. Vinton said he walked at least 15 miles a day to keep in shape and pass the time. He said he lost 28 pounds. Hamid El Miloudi, 46, of Chattanooga, Tenn., until recently had been one of the Americans who had sought refuge at the besieged U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. El Miloudi said spent time tending a vegetable garden he planted at the embassy. Ginn complained about the monotony of the food supplies. He said his group had been fed smoked salmon every day for three weeks. "I won't be able to look at smoked salmon again," he said. Reservists flood congressmen with appeals By JUDY FAHYS Herald Washington Bureau WASHINGTON Utah congressional offices have been flooded with requests for help by reservists trying to avoid deployment to the Persian Gulf because of personal hardships, but office staffers say there is little that can be done to get exceptions. "We're getting all kinds of calls from people with unusual circumstances," said Lauri Snow Turner, spokeswoman for Sen. Jake Garn, "People have to be realistic about what he (Garn) can do." Fourteen units of the reserves and the Utah National Guard have been called up since Iraq invaded Kuwait Aug. 2. The active duty status has meant difficult family separations, financial concerns and other problems that have prompted constituents to seek help from Gam and their other respresenta-tive- s in Washington. "That's understandable," Turner said. "But then again, they have been receiving paychecks for being in the reserves and they might be called up to serve." Paul Smith, spokesman for Sen. Orrin Hatch, reported a handful of requests had come in since Operation Desert Shield began. One came from a woman in Orem who was reluctant to leave her baby behind when she and her husband were activath, ed. "The problem is when they signed up, they knew they might have to go," agreed Smith, who added the woman was invited to begin processing an application for an exception through normal channels. "Or she can resign and she won't have to go." Turner said Garn has received more than two dozen requests from recently activated soldiers facing a family hardship or other problems because of the deployment. A staff member is assigned to review each one to see what options might be available. Garn's office recently made an appeal in the case of Summit County Dr. Donald Wayne Allen, who, if he is deployed, would leave his e entire county without a physician. The senator first Inquired about Allen's case with the 328th Army Reserve General Hospital Unit at Fort Douglas, but learned that Allen was considered "essential personnel," said Turner. If he or any other reservist wanted an exemption, a request needed to be filed for duty, the prior to the call-u- p senator's office was told. Garn also made an appeal to the 96th Command, but got the same answer, Turner said. "There is a chance the process could be reversed because of the unusual circumstances and because it could cause stress in the community," said Turner. full-tim- Talks on Middle East peace conference break down UNITED NATIONS (AP) -Tbroke down Friday between the United States and nations on a draft Security. Council resolution endorsing a future international peace conference on the Middle East. Ambassadors said the United States was likely to veto the measure, which is opposed by Israel. A formal council meeting was set for Saturday evening. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has demanded an international effort to solve the Palestinian question as a condition for settling the Persian Gulf crisis. However, Bush administration officials deny the U.N. proposal is meant to satisfy him. Malaysian Ambassador Razali Ismail, who represents the non- - alks non-align- aligned nations on the council, said after a series of meetings with U.S. Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering that "it appears that the talks cannot go any further." When asked if the United States would veto the resolution, he said, "That seems to be their national position." Diplomats said the United States was pushing for removal of language endorsing a peace conference "at the appropriate time," but the nations insisted that it be left in. "I am very disappointed. We thought after six weeks we had come to a consensus. ... Apparently, it's impossible," said the council's president, Abdalla Saleh of Yemen. Israel, whose Prime Minister Yit non-align- Hawaiian police raid Challenger campsite HONOLULU (AP) - Molokai police raided the campsite of a con- troversial wilderness therapy gram, evacuating pro- its the nine participants, according to Deputy Attorney General Tom Farrell. The move came Thursday night after Circuit Judge Ronald Ibarra issued a temporary restraining order shutting down the Challenger V program, Farrell said. In his ruling, Ibarra said "any child participating in Challenger may, at any time, be subject to physical injury, neglect, or even death." Acting on Ibarra's orders, Ha waii official located the Challenger campsite in remote Halawa Valley. Officials of the state's Child Protective Services and Molokai police officers evacuated the participants, aged 12 to 20, by helicopter. The children were interviewed by state authorities and given medical checks. David Beck, one of three adults were with the group, was arrested on suspicion of endangering the welfare of a child, Farrell said. He said Beck apparently was affiliated with the original Utah Challenger program. Farrell said it (See CHALLENGER, Page A2) propriate time" and "with the participation of the parties concerned." zhak Shamir is beginning a U.S. visit, has rejected the idea of such an international gathering. Pickering plans to meet Shamir behind closed doors Saturday, the U.S. Mission said. Shamir, who is set to meet President Bush on Tuesday, has said he expects U.S. officials to clarify their stand on a peace conference. U.S. officials said Thursday they have long endorsed an international conference "at the appropriate time." But this is the first time the United States, which has veto power, has let the U.N. Security Council consider adopting that position. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the proposed resolution Friday afternoon, and it still contained the endorsement of a Mideast peace conference "at an ap 1 That language would apparently give Israel virtual veto power over such a conference, because the Jewish state would be expected to participate. At the same time as they are trying to avoid upsetting their Israeli ally, U.S. officials also want to avoid the appearance of any linkage between Iraq's demands and the U.N. resolution. "Precisely because of our consistent position that we will not link the gulf crisis and the Arab-Israedispute, this is certainly not an appropriate time for an international conference," Secretary of State James A. Baker III said Thursday. li Mm Find it Weather ArtsEntertainment Business Classified Ads B6-C- 6 B6 Comics Movies National Obituaries Sports stocks Weather WoriH ...... Herald "Want Ads" get results. Place yourt ad by calling Tonight will be fair and a little hazy, with lows in the 20s. Saturday will be sunny and fair at night Highs will be around 40 and lows will be in teens and 20s. See Page A6. B4 .A6 B4 A3 A4 B1-B- 3 Air Quality A6 AR ao . Air quality was good this mornlng m all Wasatch areas, and no health advisories were given. 373-645- 0 I, in |