US embassy cable - 90MANAMA4053

UNCLAS MANAMA 04053 
 
USIS 
 
USIA FOR NEA - EBERNIER 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS:  PREL, US, IZ 
SUBJECT:  TFKU01:  IRAQI BEHAVIOR IN KUWAIT 
 
REF:  STATE 272842 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  PEOPLE FLEEING FROM KUWAIT WERE 
INTERVIEWED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL PRESS, BOTH IN 
BAHRAIN AND AT SAUDI-KUWAITI BORDERS.  THOSE INTERVIEWED 
TALKED OF INHUMAN BEHAVIOR BY IRAQI TROOPS INCLUDING 
RAPES, THEFT AND TORTURE.  THESE INTERVIEWS, AS WELL AS 
WIRE REPORTS,  ON THE SAME SUBJECT, RECEIVED PROMINENT 
PLACEMENTS IN LOCAL PRESS.  FOLLOWING IS SUMMARY OF 
PRESS TREATMENT ON THIS ISSUE.  FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS WILL 
FOLLOW SEPTEL: 
- 
 
2.  SEMI OFFICIAL ARABIC DAILY, AKHBAR AL-KHALIJ, 
AUGUST 21 PROMINENTLY FRONTPAGED "KUWAITI PROFESSOR: 
IRAQI FORCES DESTROY THE HOUSES OF THE KUWAITIS."  THE 
HEADLINE WAS FOLLOWED BY AN 'AP' REPORT OF AN INTERVIEW 
WITH A KUWAITI PROFESSOR WHO ESCAPED FROM KUWAIT.  THE 
MAN REFUSED TO BE NAMED AS HE HAD LEFT HIS FAMILY 
MEMBERS BEHIND AND FEARED FOR THEIR SAFETY.  THE 
PROFESSOR STATED THAT "IRAQI FORCES OPENED FIRE ON AN 
UNARMED DEMONSTRATION IN KUWAIT AND KILLED THREE GIRLS 
AND A 19-YEAR OLD BOY."  HE ADDED: "IN ITS ENCOUNTER BY 
KUWAITI RESISTANCE FORCES, THE INVADING ARMY DESTROYED 
MANY KUWAITI HOMES." 
 
THE NEWSPAPER ALSO PUBLISHED THE FOLLOWING REPORTS: 
 
-- AN INTERVIEW WITH A BRITISH FAMILY WHO FLED FROM 
KUWAIT,  MS. KAREN DUCAL (TRANSLATION) WHO WAS A SINGER 
AT KUWAIT'S HOLIDAY INN SAID, "WE SAW IRAQI SOLDIERS 
REMOVING TIRES FROM KUWAITI CARS AND LOADING THEM IN A 
LARGE IRAQI TRUCK AND SENDING THEM TO BAGHDAD."  SHE 
ADDED "WE HEARD A RUMOR THAT A BRITISH AND A GERMAN 
STEWARDESS WERE RAPED BY IRAQI FORCES." 
 
-- KUWAITI NEWSPAPER, AL-QABAS AL-DEWALI, PRINTED IN 
LONDON SAID THAT "EYE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT WHAT IS 
CALLED 'THE IRAQI POPULAR ARMY' USED TRUCKS TO MOVE 
STOLEN FURNITURE AND EXPENSIVE CARPETS TO BAGHDAD. 
THEY ALSO SAID IRAQI FORCES INVADED THE RESIDENCE OF 
THE NURSES IN AL-RUQEI (IN KUWAIT) AND RAPED 35 
EGYPTIAN STEWARDESSES." 
- 
 
3.  ENGLISH LANGUAGE, GULF DAILY NEWS, AUGUST 21 
PUBLISHED "TERRORIZED COUPLE DESCRIBE ORDEAL," FOLLOWED 
BY AN INTERVIEW WITH "TRANSPLANT SURGEON ARTHUR WHITE 
AND HIS KOREAN WIFE CHOI, DESCRIBING THEIR HORRIFIC 
ORDEAL AT THE HANDS OF IRAQI SOLDIERS."  THEY SAID 
"THEIR HOME NEAR KUWAITI PORT WAS THE CENTER OF THE 
TROOPS MOVEMENT.  'THE FIRST TIME THEY KNOCKED, I COULD 
SEE THE SOLDIERS' LEGS AND GUNS THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF 
THE DOOR, SO I RAN AND HID UNDER A MATTRESS,' SAID 29- 
YEAR OLD CHOI.  THE COUPLE MANAGED TO LEAVE THEIR FLAT, 
BUT ON A RETURN VISIT TO PICK UP THEIR BELONGINGS, THE 
FORMER KUWAITI AIRWAYS STEWARDESS WAS TERRORIZED BY AN 
IRAQI CAPTAIN.  MR. WHITE SAID: 'HE ASKED ME ABOUT MY 
WIFE AND SAID: I WILL GIVE YOU WHISKEY AND BEER FOR 
HER.  I TOLD HIM SHE WAS MY WIFE, AND HE EASED OFF. IT 
WAS FRIGHTENING AND DISTRESSING.  WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO 
ESCAPE." 
 
 
ROBERTS