The Gulf: The Tortoise and the Hare

As Moscow sees it, slow and steady diplomacy will pay off, especially if the first mad dash to contain Saddam fails

So far, so good. Since the morning Saddam Hussein sent Iraqi troops storming into Kuwait, the Soviet Union has been cooperating with the West in opposing him. Moscow voted yes four times in the United Nations to condemn Iraq and impose stiff sanctions. Soviet diplomats have repeatedly urged Iraq to retreat and to free all hostages, while rebuffing pleas to ease their support for the international opposition. When the U.N. was debating the crucial fifth vote authorizing force to back up the sanctions, Gorbachev publicly told Saddam to withdraw from Kuwait or face further action from the U.N. Only a few...

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