FERDINAND MARCOS Americans deny Kuwaiti plea for Stingers

Press, 21 June 1984, Page 8

FERDINAND MARCOS

Americans deny Kuwaiti plea for Stingers

NZPA-Reuter Washington American officials say that they have turned down Kuwait’s request for Stinger missiles, at least for now. but have offered other air

defence weapons against possible Iranian attacks. A State Department spokesman, John Hughes, said yesterday that no final decision had been made on Kuwait’s request but “we're not going to sell Stingers to Kuwait at this time.” Kuwait’s Foreign Minister, Sheikh Sabah Ahmed, had repeated only a day earlier his Government’s interest in buying shoulderfired anti-aircraft Stinger missiles like those recently sold to Saudi Arabia. Mr Hughes and a Pentagon spokesman, Michael Burch, said that the United States would offer Kuwait other weapons to improve its air defence in case Iran’s war against Iraq spread to Kuwait and other Gulf nations.

Military analysts said that the offer could include improvements for Kuwait’s American-made Hawk antiaircraft missiles and longrange fuel tanks for Kuwait’s two squadrons of about 40 Skyhawk fighterbombers.

Mr Hughes did not deny reporters’ suggestions that the Stinger sale had been rejected partly because of Israel’s opposition, saying, “I’m sure a number of factors went into the decision.” Israel had opposed the earlier Stinger sale to Saudi Arabia on the grounds that the missiles might fall into the hands of terrorists or otherwise eventually be used against Israel. Mr Burch suggested that other air defence weapons were better suited to Kuwait’s needs.

He said the new weapons offered could be delivered and used before the Stingers could be sent and Kuwaiti troops trained to use them.

A Pentagon team had

concluded in a survey just completed of Kuwait’s needs that the weapons being offered were “more immediate and effective" than Stingers, he said.

Mr Burch and Mr Hughes said in nearly identical statements that the American weapons offered to Kuwait "demonstrates our concern over the security situation in the Gulf and our policy of support for the self-defence efforts of the Gulf States.” Mr Burch said that Congress would be notified of the sale of weapons if Kuwait accepted. But Congress would be more likely to approve a sale not including Stinger missiles. O Iraq’s President, Mr Saddam Hussein, said he would “crush strongly and fiercely” any Iranian invasion as Iran continued to fuel popular sentiment at home for an anticipated offensive on the southern Iraqi port city of Basra. President Hussein also said yesterday that his country has enough weapons “to flood all rivers and coasts of Iran.” Such an offensive, if successful, could isolate the southern region from the rest of Iraq and push the Iran-Iraq war closer to the border of Kuwait and neutral Gulf waters. Arab diplomatic sources in the Gulf region have estimated that Iran has 400,000 troops east of Basra. An Iranian report on Tuesday indicated thousands more volunteers were pouring into front line locations. King Hussein of Jordan, who has offered to send troops to help defend Arab countries in the Gulf against any Iranian attacks, arrived in the Iraqi capital for talks with the President.

Arab diplomats in Manama said the King was expected to offer more military assistance in the face of an anticipated Iranian assault. He has been a

staunch supporter of Iraq.