File: 082696_d50028_134.txt
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place. (Wall Street Journal, February 8, p. 14.)

Members of the House Armed Services Committee sharply question Secretary of Defense Richard
Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell on why mail is taking so long to get
to troops in the Persian Gulf. (Baltimore Sun, February 8, p. 12.)

An American civilian who worked at a Turkish air base is shot to death, becoming the first
American to die in a wave of terrorist attacks since the U.S.-led military alliance went to war against
Iraq. (Los Angeles Times, February 8, p. 10.)

Twenty-one members of the House of Representatives, all Democrats, sign a statement urging
President Bush not to escalate the war with Iraq. (Washington Post, February 8, p. A33.)

The typical American soldier in the Persian Gulf is 27 years old, six years older than the average
in Vietnam,' and more likely to be married and have more children. Analysts say this is because no
draft is forcing 18 and 19 year olds into the Army, and because one-fifth of the' troops are. reservists,
who tend to be in their thirties and forties. The U.S. force in Operation Desert Storm is the oldest to
fight since the Civil War. (Washington Post, February 8, p. Al.)

General Norman Schwarzkopf says in an interview that he had reports that some defecting ][raqi
pilots had tried to bomb Saddam Hussein at his presidential palace. (Reuters Wire Service, February
8)

February 8
Friday -- Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, Secretary of Defense Cheney tells American pilots and
ground crews in Dhahran that they are part of the most successful air campaign in history, but that
ground and amphibious assaults would be needed to flush out Saddam Hussein's dug in troops and
expose them to more bombardment. (New York Times February 9, p. 1.)

Secretary of Defense Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Powell meet with exiled
Emir of Kuwait in Taif, Saudi Arabia and then fly to Riyadh for conferences with General Schwarzkopf.
(~y York Times. February 9, p. 1.)

Brigadier General Buster C. Glosson, architect of the allied air war, says that unseasonably heavy
cloud cover since the beginning of the Persian Gulf war has forced allied pilots to cancel more thar half
of their bombing raids on top priority targets in Iraq and Kuwait and that the air campaign is at least
a week behind schedule. (New York Times February 9, p. 1.)

Senior American officers say that at least another ten days of heavy air bombardment will be needed
before any ground campaign~will begin because the air campaign has been slowed by bad weather and
the hunt for Scud missile launchers. (New York Times. February 9, p. 1.)

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