THE United States pushed ahead with its influx of troops for exercises in the Kuwaiti desert yesterday, as Iraq said it does not fear the build up near its border, but will not provoke any attack.
Some 700 US First Cavalry Division troops arrived in Kuwait yesterday afternoon, out of 3,500 on their way from Texas, with more planes scheduled to arrive every few hours to join the heavy brigade forming in Kuwait.
Lieut Col Thomas Nickerson said the reinforcements were expected to reach a full strength of 5,000 combat troops "within the next 48 hours".
The 1,200 troops previously based in the Kuwaiti desert staged a series of live fire exercises using M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicles and M 16 rifles and practised fighting in chemical warfare masks and suits.
Iraq responded to the manoeuvres by saying it could "annihilate" any ground attack by the US troops massing in neighbouring Kuwait.
The editor of the Iraqi government daily, Al-Jumhuriya, Salah al Mukhtar, said the "presence of 5,000 American soldiers does not scare Iraq".
"In case of attack, these 5,000 soldiers would be easily annihilated," Mr Mukhtar added.
But he also held out an olive branch, saying Baghdad did not have any "aggressive aims against Kuwait, and we will not give the Americans the opportunity to lead new attacks against Iraq".
Alongside the build up in Kuwait, the United States now has two aircraft carrier battle groups in the Gulf, and has sent anti missile Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia. There are also eight F-117 Stealth bombers and 18 F-16 fighters at Kuwaiti bases.
Herve Couturier adds from Ankara:
Turkey's pro Islamic Prime Minister, Mr Necmettin Erbakan yesterday made clear his Opposition to further US attacks on Iraq, as a five year pact between Ankara and Washington against Baghdad lay in tatters.
Breaking a silence maintained since the upsurge of violence in Iraq on August 31st, Mr Erbakan was quoted in yesterday's press as saying a US attack could aggravate the situation".
"The United States doesn't know what needs to be done. It does not seem to have decided on a stance on Iraq and northern Iraq. It does not have a clear and defined strategy which is free from contradiction. The problem stems from this fact."
A Western diplomat in Ankara commented that Turkey and the United States bad been allies against Baghdad since the 1991 Gulf War but now pursued diametrically opposed aims.
"The Turks have a different agenda, that's for sure. They have a window of opportunity to impose their views on the US and they're using it," the diplomat said.
Prior to yesterday's remarks, Mr Erbakan had left his deputy Ms Tansu Ciller, also foreign minister, to handle the Iraqi crisis at least in public.