In radio address, Saddam Hussein makes public his commitment to withdraw from Kuwait. Pres. Bush says promise is inadequate, presses for virtual surrender, and orders allied forces to continue...
Pres. Gorbachev makes round of telephone calls to leaders of U.S., Britain, Germany, Egypt, France, and Italy to try to persuade them how close positions of Iraq and U.S. had become through Soviet...
After midnight meeting with F.M. Aziz in Moscow, Soviet leaders announce Baghdad has given "positive" response to Soviet peace plan; U.S. delays formal response until consultation with allies [NYT...
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In radio address, Saddam Hussein makes public his commitment to withdraw from Kuwait. Pres. Bush says promise is inadequate, presses for virtual surrender, and orders allied forces to continue attacks [BADS 2/26 in FBIS 2/26; MEM 2/26; NYT, LAT, WP, WT 2/27; MET 3/12].
Allied forces enter Kuwait City, as Iraqi troops are reported in headlong retreat across Kuwait; fighting continues at Kuwait City airport; U.S. troops reach Euphrates River in Iraq, cutting off escape routes for Republican Guards; other allied forces are closing off additional escape routes for Iraqi troops; 25 to 30 mile long column of Iraqi tanks, personnel carriers, and trucks heading north on road to Basra is repeatedly attacked by U.S. warplanes [MENA 2/26 in FBIS 2/27; NYT, LAT, WP, WT, CSM 2/27].
SCUD missile lands in uninhabited area of Qatar, another is destroyed over Bahrain [MEM 2/26].
Emir of Kuwait declares martial law, says it will last for 3 months, in 1st step toward reestablishing his rule [NYT, WP, WT 2/27; MET 3/12].
U.S. command revises death toll in 2/25 SCUD attack on barracks, saying missile killed 28 U.S. soldiers and wounded more than 100 [NYT, WP 2/27; MET 3/12].
Military law specialists say "rules of war" clearly permit allies to attack retreating Iraqis until they law down their arms; claim definite distinction between retreat and surrender [NYT, WP 2/27].
Egypt, Kuwait, Soviet Union, and European members of coalition say Saddam Hussein must accept all 12 UN Sec. Council resolutions before war can end [KUNA 2/26 in FBIS 2/27; NYT, WP 2/27]; PLO calls on UN Sec. Council to bring about immediate ceasefire [TDS 2/27 in FBIS 2/27; AVP 2/27 in FBIS 2/28].
Allies effectively stop counting Iraqi POWs because so many have been taken since ground war began. Officials stop count at 26,000 but estimates are up to more than 30,000 [LAT, WP 2/27].
P.M. Shamir vows to resist concessions in postwar Middle East peace effort [IDF 2/26 in FBIS 2/27; MEM 2/26; WP, WT 2/27].
Yasir Arafat meets in Algiers with Pres. Benjedid; Arafat says U.S. aims to destroy Iraq [AGS, AFP 2/26, APS 2/27 in FBIS 2/27; APS 2/27 in FBIS 3/1].
European Community announces it is freezing contacts with PLO in light of Arafat's pro-Iraqi stand. EC statement says, however, that the decision "in no way calls into question the role of the PLO or the rights of the Palestinian people" [MEM 2/26].
Jordanian Cabinet issues statement accusing allies of exceeding UN mandate [MEM 2/27].
Pres. Gorbachev makes round of telephone calls to leaders of U.S., Britain, Germany, Egypt, France, and Italy to try to persuade them how close positions of Iraq and U.S. had become through Soviet mediation efforts; Westem leaders respond that Iraq had not begun moving troops out of Kuwait by noon. Moscow says Iraq "lost the chance" to take advantage of Soviet efforts [NYT, WP 2/24].
Iraq fires SCUD missile at Israel 10 minutes before noon deadline; no injuries are reported [NYT 2/24; MET 3/5].
Pres. Bush says Iraq's failure to meet noon deadline leaves coalition forces "no alternative but to continue to prosecute the war" [NYT 2/24].
Allied troops move into Kuwait and Iraq in faster than expected ground advances; forces meet scattered resistance; allied casualties are "extremely light," with fewer than 20 U.S. soldiers being killed; over 5,500 Iraqi POWs are taken in 1st 10 hours of assault; after 22 hours Iraqi POW total is nearing 10,000 [WP 2/24; RIDS 2/24 in FBIS 2/25; NYT, LAT, WT, WP, CSM 2/25; MET 3/5].
Iran's Pres. Rafsanjani says U.S. is exceeding UN mandate in its pursuit of war with Iraq [NYT 2/24].
Egypt's gov't. publications for 1st time calls for Saddam Hussein to be overthrown [NYT 2/24]; Cairo students demonstrate against allied forces' ground war; security forces use tear gas to disperse marchers [RMC 2/24 in FBIS 2/25].
After midnight meeting with F.M. Aziz in Moscow, Soviet leaders announce Baghdad has given "positive" response to Soviet peace plan; U.S. delays formal response until consultation with allies [NYT, LAT, WP, WT 2/22].
Saddam Hussein delivers speech over Baghdad radio reaffirming Iraq's 2/15 proposal; says Iraq is ready for all-out war unless proposal is accepted [BADS 2/21 in FBIS 2/21; NYT, LAT, WP, MEM 2/22; MET 3/5].
U.S. Def. Sec. Dick Cheney says allied forces are braced for "one of the largest land assaults of modem times" as U.S.-Iraq clashes grow larger and more intense; U.S. command says allies have reached level of destruction specified by senior generals as minimum needed before ground offensive can begin [NYT 2/22].
SCUD missiles are fired at Saudi Arabia in 2 rare daylight attacks; Patriot missile intercept all; 9 American soldiers are killed in 2 helicopter crashes in Saudi Arabia [LAT, MEM 2/22; MET 3/5].
Kuwaiti gov't-in-exile contracts U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help restore Kuwait's damaged water, power, and transportation systems after war. Contract runs for 90 days, valued at $45 million [LAT 2/22].
Saudi ambassador to U.S., Prince Bandar bin Sultan, warns that Yasir Arafat, King Hussein, and Pres. Saleh of Yemen will be made to pay dearly for supporting Iraq, signalling sharp break from Saudi prewar policy of trying to forge Arab consensus (cf. 2/26) [LAT 2/22].
Hours after long-disputed $400 million loan guarantees to Israel is approved, Israeli officials claim the amount is grossly insufficient; Immigration Min. Yitzhak Peretz says "In fact, it's a very small sum that only accounts for 3 or 4 percent of the overall figure" needed [NYT 2/22].
Amnesty International accuses members of allies of using war as pretext for human rights violations, citing Britain, Egypt, and U.S. for war-related abuses [MEM 2/21; LAT 2/22].
At Labor party bureau meeting MK Moshe Shahal expresses, for 1st time in public, support for creation of Palestinian state [IDF 2/21 in FBIS 2/22; MEM 2/22; JPI 3/2].
