Iran Territories And Possessions

Iraqi troops began withdrawing from Iranian territory Friday, and the first 1,000 Iranian prisoners of war were sent home. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, on schedule, delivered on his promise of peace after a decade of war and hostile truce, clearing the decks for a possible confrontation with other foes over his occupation of Kuwait. The withdrawal from Iran started at 5 a.m.

On the map, it is little more than a green blip in a haze of blue, a Persian Gulf island few ever heard of. But the island of Abu Musa lies just at the mouth of the narrow Strait of Hormuz, through which passes a fifth of the world's oil supplies.

In a bold diplomatic move, President Saddam Hussein on Wednesday offered peace to Iran--on all of Iran's terms--to free his troops for the confrontation with multinational forces along the Persian Gulf. The embattled Hussein, foreseeing a "great duel" touched off by his invasion of Kuwait, declared that his troops will withdraw from occupied Iranian territory beginning Friday and that he will begin releasing Iranian prisoners of war the same day.

Iraqi troops began withdrawing from Iranian territory Friday, and the first 1,000 Iranian prisoners of war were sent home. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, on schedule, delivered on his promise of peace after a decade of war and hostile truce, clearing the decks for a possible confrontation with other foes over his occupation of Kuwait. The withdrawal from Iran started at 5 a.m.

On the map, it is little more than a green blip in a haze of blue, a Persian Gulf island few ever heard of. But the island of Abu Musa lies just at the mouth of the narrow Strait of Hormuz, through which passes a fifth of the world's oil supplies.

In a bold diplomatic move, President Saddam Hussein on Wednesday offered peace to Iran--on all of Iran's terms--to free his troops for the confrontation with multinational forces along the Persian Gulf. The embattled Hussein, foreseeing a "great duel" touched off by his invasion of Kuwait, declared that his troops will withdraw from occupied Iranian territory beginning Friday and that he will begin releasing Iranian prisoners of war the same day.