NICOSIA, Cyprus — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak plunged into emergency diplomacy Tuesday to bridge the noisy rift between Iraq and Kuwait, as the Pentagon announced "short-notice" naval maneuvers for U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf.
Mubarak met privately in Baghdad with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and in Kuwait with Sheik Jabbar al Ahmed al Sabah, the emir or ruler, on a day when Iraq again accused the oil-rich sheikdom of conspiring to destroy its economy and massed at least 30,000 troops on the Kuwaiti border. Iraq also reportedly has posted more than 200 Soviet-made tanks along the border.
It was Hussein who triggered the open hostilities last week, setting the region on edge, by accusing Kuwait of scheming to drive down Iraq's oil revenues by undercutting production quotas of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Kuwait on Tuesday canceled leave for its 20,000-member military, which would be no match for the battle-tested legions of Iraq, one of the Middle East's predominant military powers. Baghdad has an army of more than 400,000 well-trained and well-equipped troops.
In the past, Kuwait has depended upon its economic vitality and its diplomatic resourcefulness to protect it from would-be predators.
In Washington, the Pentagon said six U.S. warships were ordered to begin "short-notice" maneuvers in the Persian Gulf with naval vessels of the United Arab Emirates. Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams said two of the U.S. ships cut short port calls to participate.
"We're concerned about the (Iraqi) buildup," White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater declared. "It is a delicate situation. We urge all parties to avoid violence."
At the State Department, spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler confirmed the buildup and said, "Iraq and others know there is no place for coercion and intimidation in a civilized world." She added that Kuwait has moved an undisclosed number of troops to the border with Iraq.
The U.S. naval maneuvers, dubbed "Exercise Ivory Justice" by the Pentagon, also involve two U.S. Air Force KC-135 air refueling tankers and one C-141 cargo plane hauling maintenance and repair equipment.
Williams said the show of force underscores the fact that the United States has "longstanding agreements and commitments with our friends in the region." During the Persian Gulf War between Iran and Iraq, the U.S. provided naval escorts for Kuwaiti oil tankers in the gulf to protect them from attacks. The U.S. interest in peace and safety there "hasn't changed," Williams said.
