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help in its efforts in the Persian Gulf. Cheney also says that release of all hostages will not delay th
U.S. buildup in the region. (New York Times, December 8, p. 7.)

For a month, 130 deserters from the Iraqi army have been holed up in the Northern Turkish city of
Van, where they tell of having left behind troops demoralized by meager food rations and terroi4zed
by threats of hanging. Some tell of rape and plunder in Kuwait. Hundreds of other Iraqis are reported
to have deserted to Saudi Arabia and smaller groups into Syria and Iran. Most of the deserters are
reportedly from minority groups in northern Iraq - an area where people historically have opposed
Hussein. (New York Tim~, December 8, p. 8.)

December 8
Saturday ---U.S. Embassy in Baghdad announces that a chartered Iraqi Boeing 747 would pick up
as many as 750 lorme? hostages in Kuwait and Baghdad and then fly to Frankfurt, Germany in the first
large scale flight to freedom of American hostages. Americans in Kuwait have been told on short wave
broadcasts of Voice of America to assemble at the Kuwait City airport for the freedom flight. Earlier
in the day, 23 Americans and 1 Briton left Baghdad with former Texas governor John Connally. (New
York Times, December 9, p. 1.)

President Bush denies that his decision to close the embassy in Kuwait was a payback to Saddam
Hussein for his decision to free all hostages. President Bush also rejects the notion that freeing the
hostages will make the Persian Gulf alliance harder to hold together and insists that the threat of w~'u
is as strong as ever. (New York Times, December 9, p. 14.)

The emergence of women as a major portion of the military (both active duty and reserve) is
presenting the Defense Department with problems never before encountered. Single parents with young
children and husbands and wives with young children who are both called to duty in the Persian Gulf
are some of the more serious problems encountered. (New York Times, December 9, p. 1.)

December 9
Sunday --- More than 1,000 foreigners, including 163 Americans, flew out of Iraq today after
months of hiding and captivity. Some of those fleeing from Kuwait tell of continued nighttime gun
battles and car bombings. (New York Times, December 10, p. Al.)

The Pentagon may have to seek $ 10 billion to $20 billion in new spending authority from Congress
next month to cover the rising costs of the Persian Gulf buildup. The deployment of the additional
200,000 military personnel announced last month has virtually doubled the expected cost. The total cost
of the buildup could reach $31 billion for fiscal 1991 with U.S. allies expected to pay for less than half.
(New York Times, December 10, p. Al.)

The Bush Administration accuses Saddam Hussein of trying to delay his meeting with Secretary of
State Baker in order to have an excuse for not withdrawing from Kuwait by January 13, 1991. The U.S.
wants a Baker-Hussein meeting no later than January 3. Iraq has said that the earliest the meeting could
take place is January 12 due to Hussein's busy schedule. (New York Times, December 10, p. A12.) -

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