CENTCOM NEWS BRIEF

File: DOC_81_CENTCOM_NEW_BRIEF_012.txt
Page: 012
Total Pages: 16

fore, they could do anything they wanted to with them. So I just pray that they'll
all be returned safely before long.

0: The other day on television, the Deputy Soviet Foreign Minister said, they
were talking again already about re-arming the Iraqis. There1 a some indication that
the United States, as well, needs to have a certain amount of armament to retain a
balance of power. Do you feel that your troops are in ~eopardy finishing this off,
when already the politicians are talking about re-arming the Iraqis? liow do you feel
about that?
A: 1 certainly don't Want to discuss (inaudible) because that's way out of my
field. I would tell you that I'm one of the first people that said at the outset
that it's not in the best interest of peace in this part or the world to destroy
Iraq, and ~ think the President Of the United States has made it very clear from the
outset that our intention is not to destroy Iraq or the Iraqi people. I think
everyone has every right to legitimately defend themselves. But the one thing that
comes through loud and clear over, and over, and over again to the people that have
flown over Iraq, to the pilots that have gone in against their military installa-
tions, when you look at the war machine that they faced, that war machine definitely
was not a defensive war zuachine, and they demonstrated that ~ore than adequately when
they overran Kuwait and then called it a great military victory

Q: Before starting the land phase, how much were you concerned by the Iraqi
planes coning back from Iran? And do we know what happened to the Iraqi helicopters?
A: As I said before, we were very concerned about the return of the Iraqi
planes from Iran, but we were prepared for it. We have been completely prepared for
any type of air attack the Iraqis might throw against us, and oh, by the way, we're
still prepared for it. Wo're not going to let down our guard for one instant, 30
long as we know that capability is there, until we're sure this whole thing is over

The helicopters are another very interesting story, and we know where the
helicopters were -- they traditionally put their helicopters near s.on~e of their other
outfits, and we tracked them very carefully. What happened is despite the fact that
the Iraqis claim that we indiscriminately bombed civilian targets, they took their
helicopters and dispersed them all over the place in civilian residential areas just
as fast as they possibly could. Ouite a few of them were damaged on airfields, those
that we could take on airfields, but the rest of them were dispersed.

0: You mentioned about the Saudi armed forces Could you elaborate about
their role on the first day?
A: The Saudi Army, as I said, the first thing they did we had this Marine
attack that was going through here, and of course we were Concerned about the forces
over here again, hitting the flanks. That's one or the things you juSt don't want to
have happen to your advancing forces. So this force over here, the eastern task
force, had to attack up the coast to pin the enemy in this location. The Saudi
force~ in this area attacked through here, again, to pin all the forces in this area
because we didn't want those forces moving in this direction, and we didn't want
those forces moving in that direction. It's a tOugh rrds~ion because these people
were being required to fight the kind of fight that the Iraqis wanted them to fight~.
It's a very, very tough mission. I would point Out, it wasn't only the Saudis, it
was the Saudis, the Xuwaitis, the Egyptians, the Syrians, the Erniris from United Arab
) ~~atta, tt't Bahrain~, the Qataris, and the Omanis, and I apoloqiz~ i~ I've it'. ~t
anybody out, but it was a great coalition of p~ople, all of whom did a fine job.

Q: Is there anything left of the SCUD or chemical capability?