US embassy cable - 90STATE260064

S E C R E T  STATE 260064 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:OADR 
TAGS:  PREL MOPS  IZ, KU, US 
SUBJECT:  TKFU01:  SITREP NO. 20 IRAQ-KUWAIT TASK FORCE, 
SITUATION AS OF 0800 EDT, 08/07/90 
 
1.  (S) CHARGE WILSON MET WITH IRAQI MFA IN BAGHDAD AND 
WAS TOLD IRAQIS WOULD ALLOW DEPARTURE OF OFFICIAL AMCIT 
PERSONNEL ON THURSDAY MORNING  AUG. 9.  CHARGE REQUESTED 
THAT BORDER BE OPENED TO ALLOW DEPARTURE OF NON-OFFICIAL 
AMCITS AND WAS TOLD BY UNDERSEC HAMDUN THAT BORDERS 
WOULD REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL AREA TENSIONS HAD LESSENED. 
CHARGE REPLIED THAT THE PREVIOUS DAY SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD 
SAID THE SITUATION WAS SECURE.  HAMDUN SAID 
"INFLAMMATORY, STATEMENTS BY U.S. OFFICIALS HAD 
AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION AND THAT THE U.S. COULD TAKE 
ACTION TO LESSEN THE TENSION  WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE 
BORDERS TO REOPEN.  THIS RESPONSE INDICATES A TOUGHENING 
OF IRAQ'S POSITION.  (TELCON WILSON, 0300 EDT). 
 
2.  (S) THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTED THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN 
HAD WARNED THE AMERICAN CHARGE THAT IF SAUDI ARABIA WERE 
TO SHUT DOWN OIL PIPELINES  IRAQ WOULD ATTACK SAUDI 
ARABIA.  CHARGE WILSON REPORTED THAT THE IRAQIS WERE 
FURIOUS OVER THE STORY. (WASHINGTON POST. 08/07/90; 
TELCON EMBASSY BAGHDAD 0350 EDT). 
 
3.  (C) CONFIRMATION WAS RECEIVED THAT A NUMBER OF 
AMCITS HAD ARRIVED AT RASHID HOTEL, BAGHDAD.  AN EMBASSY 
OFFICER IS AT HOTEL TO REGISTER AMCITS.  LATER TELCON 
PUT THE NUMBER AT 35 AMCITS, SOME OF WHOM ARE FROM BA 
149.  (TELCONS 0337 AND 0445 EDT WITH EMBASSY BAGHDAD). 
 
4.  (S) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHENEY IS PROCEEDING TO 
CARO AUGUST 7 FOR MEETINGS WITH MUBARAK. 
UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS 
WOLFOWITZ AND STATE ASST. SECRETARY CLARKE WILL TRAVEL 
TO BAHRAIN AUG. 8 TO CONSULT WITH BAHRAIN GOVERNMENT ON 
JOINT DEFENSE ACTIVITY. (TELCON EMBASSY CAIRO, 0450 EDT; 
PM). 
 
5.  (C) EMBASSY KUWAIT REPORTS THAT THE SITUATION AUGUST 
7 REMAINS GENERALLY QUIET.  THE EMBASSY EXPECTS TO HAVE 
ALL OFFICIAL AMERICANS IN THE EMBASSY COMPOUND BY THE 
END OF THE DAY. (TELCON. CROCKER-BODIN, 0502 EDT). 
 
6.  (U)  MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
 
BAKER