CONGRESSMAN RETURNS FROM THE PERSIAN GULF; PRAISES EFFORT OF AREA GUARD AND RESERVES

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Rep. Bill Emerson heard a first-hand account of the situation in the Middle East from Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf during a congressional visit to the Persian Gulf region. He returned home Monday.

The delegation, led by the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, G.V. Montgomery, D-Miss., met with U.S. military leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, including Schwarzkopf. They also toured a refugee camp in Iraq and war-torn Kuwait.

Emerson said: "Gen. Schwarzkopf told me that he was thoroughly impressed with the spectacular performance of our reserve forces and National Guard units. I was extremely proud to have this truly great military leader tell me that the Guard and reserve units many of whom are from the 8th District of Missouri were `magnificent, absolutely magnificent.'"

While in the gulf region, Emerson met with Guard units and individual members of other Guard and reserve units from Southeast Missouri.

"The servicemen and servicewomen of this all-volunteer force played an absolutely vital role in winning this war," he said. "The bottom line is that our military victory would not have been possible without the outstanding performance of the members of the reserve and Guard units.

"Now that the conflict is over, one of our top priorities on this trip was to find out how quickly these men and women can be brought home to their families."

As a result of the congressional visit, Emerson said the Army is publishing a redeployment schedule so that the troops will know when they will be coming home. The goal is to ensure that all reserve and National Guard units return home within nine months of mobilization.

Current Department of Defense policy is that reserve units will not serve on active duty for more than one year.

During its trip, the delegation visited the Safwan refugee camp in Southern Iraq. Some 25,000 to 30,000 people live in the camp, relying on the United States and the Red Crescent for food.

"We saw children suffering severe malnutrition before our eyes, people collapsing from heat and severe hunger, and we heard time and time again that these refugees did not want to return home because they feared for their lives under the rule of Saddam Hussein," Emerson said.

"As bleak as this situation was, I do feel that because of American efforts things are improving. Our medical efforts and those of the fine American doctors tending to the children and the refugees, our efforts to get food and water and clothing to them, and the American forces who are protecting the camp are beginning to make a positive difference."

The delegation also surveyed Kuwait and the rebuilding efforts taking place there.

"The country has been severely devastated," Emerson said. "There is no electricity, water or telephones in much of the country, and most of the country's infrastructure has to be replaced.

"The damage to the environment is severe. It is dark outside most of the time in Kuwait because of the huge oil clouds lurking over the country," he said.

"The `rain' is comprised largely of oil. The oil slick in the Persian Gulf was unbelievable; there were enormous piles of oil washed up on the shorelines. The efforts of the American civil affairs units are helping a great deal in restoring this nation."

Emerson said that the Kuwaiti government is paying entirely for the restoration of the country and has promised to contribute $18.5 billion toward the costs of the war.

"The victory in the Persian Gulf was overwhelming," Emerson said. "Our men and women liberated the tiny country of Kuwait from the tyrannical ruler, Saddam Hussein, and his army. In doing so, we saw wonderful signs that there could be a meaningful shift for a more democratic form of government just on the horizon.

"We heard confirmation that the Kuwaiti government will be holding elections in the future, the right of women to vote may be considered and expanded citizenship eligibility may also be forthcoming."

Emerson said, "The servicemen and women who served in the gulf about whom I heard countless stories of bravery and wonderful service and many of whom I had the honor to meet personally truly impressed me. I think we owe them our personal gratitude for a job brilliantly done and for the service, which they continue to give to this nation."

Also traveling to the Persian Gulf region were representatives Austin Murphy, D-Pa., Earl Hutto, D-Fla., Martin Lancaster, D-N.C., L.F. Payne, D-Va., Claude Harris, D-Ala., Gene Taylor, D-Miss., John Tanner, D-Tenn., Al McCandless, R-Calif., Barbara Vucanovich, R-Nev., and Arthur Ravenel, R-S.C.