Reading The Fine Print

Two weeks ago, Saddam Hussein issued a withdrawal plan loaded with conditions that would permit him to pose as an Arab hero. He demanded Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories and both war reparations and debt forgiveness for Iraq. His latest offer had much narrower aims: to save his military and his own hide. He hoped to have his army exit Kuwait with as much hardware as possible. And to minimize grumbling at home about the cost of his Kuwait adventure, he sought a quick end to the U.N. embargo. But this time it was the U.S., speaking on behalf of the allies, that had a few conditions.

IRAQI-SOVIET STATEMENT

Iraq agrees to implement . . . U.N. Security Council Resolution 660, calling for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of its troops from Kuwait to positions they occupied on Aug. 1, 1990. The troop withdrawal would begin the day after a cease-fire.

U.S. STATEMENT

Iraq must begin large-scale withdrawal from Kuwait by noon, New York time, Saturday, Feb. 23, . . . Iraq must return all its forces to their positions of Aug. 1, in accordance with Resolution 660 . . . The U.S. and its coalition partners reiterate that their forces will not attack retreating Iraqi forces.

1 "After you," says Saddam. "No, I insist," says George Bush. "After you." Iraq wants a cease-fire to precede its retreat. The U.S. wants things the other way around. Under both plans, the Iraqis would be prohibited from massing their troops just north of the border. On Aug. 1 the Iraqis had 100,000 men near the border. Last week they had three times that many, either near or across it.

IRAQI-SOVIET STATEMENT

The withdrawal would be completed within 21 days, including withdrawal from Kuwait City within the first four days.

U.S. STATEMENT

Iraq must complete military withdrawal from Kuwait in one week. Within the first 48 hours, Iraq must remove all its forces from Kuwait City and allow for the prompt return of the legitimate government of Kuwait.

2 The U.S. wants to limit Iraq's take-home machinery. In 21 days Iraq could extract most or all of its military hardware from Kuwait. Evacuating Kuwait City first would permit the Kuwaiti government to take possession of the Iraqi retreat and would lessen the risk of urban warfare.

U.S. STATEMENT

It must withdraw from all prepared defenses along the Saudi-Kuwait and Saudi- Iraq borders, from Bubiyan and Warbah islands and from Kuwait's Rumaila oil field.

3 This is to dispel any hopes Saddam may have of holding on to some of the choicest parts of Kuwait.

IRAQI-SOVIET STATEMENT

All POWS would be released and repatriated within three days after the cease- fire.

U.S. STATEMENT

Iraq must release all prisoners of war and third-country civilians being held against their will and return the remains of killed and deceased servicemen. This action must commence immediately with the initiation of the withdrawal and must be completed within 48 hours.

4 Baghdad still retains Iranian prisoners from the Iran-Iraq war, which ended two years ago. The White House wants no repeat of the Vietnam experience, in which American POWs were bargaining chips and the fate of some MIAs is in limbo to this day.

IRAQI-SOVIET STATEMENT

! Immediately after the withdrawal from Kuwait has been completed, . . . all other U.N. Security Council resolutions would lose their meaning and would be lifted.

U.S. STATEMENT

Only the Security Council can agree to lift sanctions against Iraq, and the world needs to be assured in concrete terms of Iraq's peaceful intentions before such action can be taken.

5 The U.S. is reminding Moscow of a simple fact of life. Washington, which could veto any rescinding order at the U.N., may want to retain the prohibition on trade with Iraq until new embargoes are in place specifically forbidding military sales to Baghdad. Although another resolution holds Iraq responsible for financial losses resulting from its invasion, the U.S. does not mention reparations, an issue on which the allies do not yet have a clear policy.

IRAQI-SOVIET STATEMENT

Supervision of the cease-fire and troop withdrawal would be conducted by observers or peacekeeping forces determined by the Security Council.

6 Under this provision, the allies, having forced Iraq to retreat, would be deprived of the satisfaction of supervising the withdrawal.

U.S. STATEMENT

Iraq must remove all explosives or booby traps, including those on Kuwaiti oil installations, and designate Iraqi military liaison officers to work with Kuwaiti and other coalition forces on the operational details related to Iraq's withdrawal, to include the provision of all data on the location and nature of any land or sea mines.

7 In addition to laying 500,000 mines across the desert battlefield and hundreds more in the Persian Gulf, Iraq has rigged Kuwaiti buildings and oil installations to blow.

U.S. STATEMENT

Iraq must cease combat air fire, aircraft flights over Iraq and Kuwait, except for transport aircraft carrying troops out of Kuwait, and allow coalition aircraft exclusive control over and use of all Kuwaiti air space.

8 A lid on air movement offers the side benefit of instant reparations. There may be as many as 200 Iraqi attack helicopters in Kuwait. If they cannot leave the ground, they will have to be left behind.

U.S. STATEMENT

It must cease all destructive actions against Kuwaiti citizens and property, and release all Kuwaiti detainees.

9 This is intended to terminate Iraq's scorched-earth policy and to secure the freedom of Kuwaitis arrested during the occupation.