CRISIS IN PERSIAN GULF REMAINS ISSUE OF PEOPLE

At times, the Persian Gulf seems a world away. Days like Tuesday bring it home. Yesterday, Randal Warren of Diehlstadt stepped off a plane at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport to the open arms of his family. Warren had been trapped in Kuwait since Aug. 2, when Iraq took the country by force.

He and hundreds of other Americans and other foreigners have been released by Saddam Husseim in the last few days. Some were held hostage and used as human shields at sensitive military sites; others were simply hiding out, such as Warren.

Americans can rejoice with the Warren family, and the hundreds of other families who welcome the return of their loved ones. In our celebration, however, we must not forget this conflict remains an issue of people.

The smiling face of Randal Warren and his family are not the only faces we should remember.

For the last 10 days, this newspaper has published the faces of area servicemen and women stationed in the Persian Gulf in our Gulf mailbag feature. This feature will continue as long as there are local soldiers to highlight.

Each day through the feature, we learn about a new soldier in the Gulf. We find out about their background, and what they write home about. We learn about their hobbies and aspirations.

There are more than 200,000 soldiers in the Persian Gulf from all corners of the country. Many are strangers; but others are our classmates, friends and neighbors.

President Bush may find a tougher road in declaring war now that the hostages have been released. He may discover that previous fervent support for intervention has cooled.

Although the hostages are free, Americans realize that the prospect of war still centers on the human factor. Now, it centers on these young soldiers who are waiting patiently at Kuwait's borders.

It's said that patience is a virtue and President Bush may well take heed of this advice. So far, the standoff and blockade have worked to our advantage. The threat of military force from United Nations forces may be working.

Freedom of the hostages shouldn't make the decision to use force an easier one. The Persian Gulf crisis remains an issue of people. We must remain mindful of these young soldiers as America decides its next move.