|
|
Continued: US troops heading to Kuwait
Some 3,500 American troops will head to Kuwait over the next several days to provide training for Kuwaiti forces. The troops will join 1,200 soldiers already there.President Clinton ordered the buildup to keep pressure on Saddam. The recent tensions came after Iraqi troops struck at Kurds in northern Iraq earlier in the month. The immediate U.S. response, however, targeted air defense systems and missile bases in southern Iraq.
In addition, the "no-fly" zone's boundary was extended northward, farther away from the oil-rich borders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
"We believe that the goal of Saddam Hussein is to dominate this region, and he has only been prevented from this goal by our containment policy," Defense Secretary William Perry said.
Perry traveled to the Gulf region over the weekend to clarify the U.S. policy to Arab allies. He maintained Iraq's threats against Kuwait were "completely unacceptable" and that the U.S. troop deployment was necessary to protect Kuwait.
Despite those assurances, the U.S. policy is becoming more apparent as the saga continues to unfold. It's all about oil.
Related stories:
- U.S. troops leave Texas for Gulf - September 18, 1996
- Clinton OKs more troops to Kuwait - September 17, 1996
- U.S.-bound Kurds head to Guam - September 17, 1996
- Kuwait allows U.S. troop deployment - September 16, 1996
- U.S., Iraq move toward another showdown - September 12, 1996
The Strike
Reaction
Before the Strike
After the Strike
Multimedia
Maps & Graphics
Related sites
Additional information from Lexis-Nexis
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1996 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.