Atlantis STS-38 – Roundtrip Ticket

#360 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 20:41
#361 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 20:43
WELCOME BACK TO KSC

As Covey and crew came down the steps from Atlantis, they were greeted by Director of Flight Crew Operations Don Puddy and NASA Associate Administrator for Spaceflight Bill Lenoir; during the traditional walk around the just returned space vehicle they were joined by KSC Director Forrest McCartney and Launch Director Bob Sieck. “By Golly, I didn’t expect to see you when we landed!” Covey told McCartney.

"I was very pleased to see the successful completion of the mission here," said McCartney after the first shuttle roundtrip in over five years. "We have had in place contingency plans such that if we needed to land the orbiter here, we could. We implemented the plan and it turned out extremely well." A convoy of support vehicles had to be assembled and extra personnel were brought in.

Civil Service and contractor employee spectators had to hustle to get ready for Atlantis’ return. On hand at the runway to view the return were about 250 people, including two busloads of workers from the Launch Control Center who watched the landing from bleachers and a strip of grass near the landing facility. The whistled, cheered and waved small American flags.

Robert Sieck said, “This is a great boost for the processing team. Most of them don’t have the opportunity to see the real results of their work, which is the completion of the mission, the culmination of the effort. It’s a real treat for them. I think it’s appropriate that it’s close to Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for – a safe and successful mission, the crew returning safely, and the orbiter looks in really good hape.”
#362 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 20:47
#363 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 20:57
#364 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 20:59
Associate Administrator Lenoir explained, “We had no concerns whatsoever today with scheduling the landing into the Kennedy Space Center. For several flights Kennedy has been our backup site to Edwards.” Routine Kennedy landings were still roughly 18 months away, he said. “We would like to get a little bit more characterization of our handling qualities. We have some tests we would like to do on landing rollout in subsequent missions that are better suited on a lakebed where you have more latitude.”

Center Director McCartney said, “We want to test the new brakes some more, improve the nose wheel steering and put drag chutes on all the orbiters before we begin landing here regularly again. But this clearly demonstrated we can bring them in here and do it safely.”
#365 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:01
#366 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:03
#367 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:05
#368 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:06
The Presidential Commission investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 recommended that forecasters must be able to better predict the weather at Kennedy Space Center. Florida Today reported that meteorologists have been predicting local weather patterns with 95 percent accuracy in simulations conducted over the past two years. The weather at Edwards is acceptable 90 percent of the time; KSC weather is acceptable between 40 and 50 percent of the time.

"The real concern is the weather, the ability for fog to form quickly, for thunderstorms to build up, especially in the afternoon, making it difficult to predict two hours ahead," Lenoir told reporters. He anticipated the Florida Weather would prove predictable enough to allow about half the flights to land there. “In the meantime, we have no hesitation whatsoever in a situation like this to return to the Cape,” he said.

Lenoir, a former astronaut, saw no difference between a KSC and Edwards landing from a pilot’s point of view. The crew leaves the weather worries to the ground, he said, and both KSC and Edwards concrete runways look an identical 15,000-feet long. “If you’ve seen one 15,000 feet runway, you’ve seen them all,” Lenoir said. “The real perspective when you land after a mission is you’re no on Earth as opposed to being in orbit. Kennedy or Edwards – either one is on Earth.”

“Each site doesn’t always think that of the other,” he joked.

Finally, the landing at Kennedy Space Center saved NASA about $1.8 million which is the usual cost of ferrying an orbiter from California to Florida. It also saved seven days usually lost in processing time for the spacecraft’s next mission.

Atlantis was safed and towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility beginning at about 8:45 p.m. and arriving inside the OPF-2 hangar at 10:47 p.m. EST. There, technicians were to put in about 40 hours of work preparing the shuttle for the Thanksgiving holiday stand-down. This work included jacking and leveling, connecting of purges and connecting the orbiter to ground power.
#369 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:07
AN EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

“The KSC folks did a good job getting ready for us,” Commander Richard Covey said before leaving the Space Coast again. “They did a super job getting us out of town last Thursday night. We’re anxious now to go back to Houston and catch up with our families.”

After a brief rest, Covey, Pilot Frank Culbertson and Mission Specialists Robert Springer, Carl Meade and Charles "Sam" Gemar left Kennedy Space Center around 9:00 p.m. EST. Family members joined 200 of the astronauts’ NASA co-workers for a brief welcoming ceremony at Ellington Field. “Everybody that’s watched this flight from the media side probably thinks the flight began and ended in Florida,” Covey said. “But we all know on the crew that this flight really began and ended here in Houston with our friends and families and co-workers that have supported us and have been so important in making this all happen for us.”

Because the flight was classified, the crew gave no details of its mission, but Covey expressed hope for the future. He and other crew members said putting together the NASA and national defense aspects of their careers was especially gratifying. "One of these days maybe we will be able to tell you about Dick's, Frank's, Carl's, Bob's and Sam's excellent adventure," Covey told the well wishers. "For now, it will have to remain under tight cover."

“Spaceflight is very complex and very difficult,” said Culbertson. “The people who spend a lot of time in each of their areas of expertise to prepare us made us better at it and gave us the confidence to get the job done.

“I’m grateful to the technicians, engineers and scientists in the agency that have allowed me to come home safely after an incredible journey to share a new lifetime together with a newborn son,” said Gemar, whose wife, Char, gave birth to a baby boy, Grant, later that month.

Meade offered “special thanks to our world’s greatest training crew; I know what a hard job you guys had,” and Springer extended those feelings to everyone who worked on the mission. “It’s the people of this program who really make it work and who make the difference in all of this,” Springer said.

The crew of Atlantis came home long before the fighting forces of Operation Desert Shield could. But perhaps the eyes they left in orbit would help shield those brave men and women from the winds of war for a safe return that would match the excellent adventure of STS-38.

(NASA PAO live commentary, Nov. 20, 1990; Countdown, January & February 1991; Mark Carreau, The Houston Chronicle, Nov. 21, 1990; Deseret News, Nov. 21 & 22, 1990; Kelly Humphries, JSC Space News Roundup, Nov. 30, 1990; Chronology of KSC and KSC Related Events for 1990, KHR-15, March 1991 – edited)
#370 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:09
STS-38 MISSION SUMMARY – Landing

"It's probably one of the cleanest birds I've ever seen come back after a mission."

- James Harrington, NASA's Director of Shuttle Operations

Three landing opportunities were canceled on Flight Day 4 because of unacceptable weather conditions for landing at Edwards Air Force Base. On the first opportunity, the headwinds exceeded the flight rule limit of 25 knots on Runway 22 and 23. Excessive crosswinds as well as wind varying from the forecast caused the cancellation of landing on the second and third opportunities, and the mission was extended a day.

When activating General Purpose Computer 3 for the initial entry opportunity on Flight Day 4, November 19, 1990, the GPC 3 talkback did not indicate run when the GPC was taken from halt to standby. The GPC initial program load was performed and the GPC operated properly. Analysis of the dump from GPC 3 indicated that the GPC was not allowed to complete standby processing during freeze-dry procedures. The problem did not impact the mission.

Also, during the initial program load of GPC3, a temporary loss of communications occurred. This condition was caused by the stored program command not completing execution prior to the backup flight system GPC being given the payload data busses. Crew action reenabled communications.

Weather forecasts for landing at Edwards on Flight Day 5, November 20, 1990, showed unfavorable winds on all runways. As a result, the decision was made to change the primary landing site to Kennedy Space Center because of the very favorable weather conditions existing at that landing site.

Five dual-engine OMS maneuvers were performed during the mission with nominal performance. A total of 13,458 pounds of propellants were consumed during the mission. The performance of the Reaction Control system was satisfactory with one anomaly noted. A total of 5124 pounds of propellant was consumed with no forward RCS dump firing being performed.

Primary thruster R1U chamber pressure was below the nominal 150 psi by approximately 20 psi. This occurred consistently for several pulses on entry day. Earlier data were nominal. Thruster R1U was placed in last priority for entry usage and the anomaly did not impact the mission. In addition, thrusters R3D, R4U, and F3L all showed transient periods of low chamber pressure.

After completion of all entry preparations including stowage and payload bay door closure, the OMS deorbit maneuver was performed at 324:20:46:15 GMT, with a firing duration of 114.9 seconds and a differential velocity of 228.5 feet per second. Entry interface occurred at 324:21:11:52 GMT, and because of the presence of TDRS, communications were maintained throughout entry.

Acreage heating was nominal during entry with nominal structural temperature rises observed in the data. Post-flight inspection and analysis revealed that localized heating was also nominal with typical atmospheric density gradients determined between 250,000 and 240,000 feet altitude. The TPS performance was nominal based on structural temperature response data and some tile surface temperature measurement data. The overall boundary transition from laminar to turbulent flow was nominal and occurred at 1200 seconds after entry interface. Transition was symmetrical.

The electrical power distribution and control system operated normally during landing; however, one minute prior to touchdown, the main bus A mid power controller 1 current dropped to zero. No change in fuel cell 1 current was noted when this event occurred, indicating a sensor failure.

Main Landing gear touchdown occurred at 324:21:42:42 GMT, on the Shuttle Landing Facility Runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center. Nose landing gear touchdown occurred ten seconds later with wheels stop at 324:21:43:41 GMT. The rollout was normal in all respects. Video and telemetry data of the landing and deceleration activities showed main gear touchdown occurred at a ground speed of 194.3 knots approximately 1414 feet from the runway threshold. Nose gear touchdown occurred ten seconds later at a ground speed of 161.9 knots approximately 4213 feet from the runway threshold.

Braking was initiated at a ground speed of 124 knots approximately 7400 feet from the runway threshold. Wheels stop occurred approximately 10,484 feet from the runway threshold with brake energies in the nominal range from 18.94 million ft-lb to 26.00 million ft-lb. Development Test Objectives DTD 517 – Hot Nosewheel Steering Runway Evaluation – and DTD 805 – Crosswind Landing Performance – were not performed because of the KSC landing. The three APUs were shut down by 324:21:57:05.43 GMT and the crew completed the required post-flight reconfigurations and exited the vehicle at 324:22:32:25 GMT.

The performance of the mechanical subsystems was nominal throughout the mission, except for one anomaly that occurred at OPS 9 transition after landing. Right-hand vent doors 1 and 2 failed to stop at the purge position when commanded to move from open to purge during the post-landing vent door repositioning. The failure caused no concerns for the post-flight purge of the forward compartment.

Flight damage to the TPS was minimal with three scrap tiles identified during the runway inspection. Debris impact damage to the lower surface was also minimal with a total of 46 damage sites, or hits, six of which were significant impacts in that the major dimension was one inch or greater. The hits were approximately equally divided about the vehicle centerline.

Five hits were noted on the body flap lower surface with each damage site exhibiting thermal erosion to a depth of 0.5 inch with melting of the adjacent tile-coating material. The base heatshield peppering (approximately 150 sites) was lighter than normal.

Overall, all Reusable Carbon Carbon parts appeared normal. A gap was evident around the chin panel 441 gap filler. The nose landing gear door TPS was in good condition with only one loose Nicalon sacrificial thermal barrier patch. The right main landing gear door thermal barrier outboard section had two breached areas. The ET door thermal barriers were in good condition with evidence of a minor flow path on the right-hand barrier.

No evidence of damage was apparent from the ice seen in the debris films. The elevon cove TPS and elevon-elevon gap tiles were all in good condition. Six left-hand rudder speed brake (trailing edge) tiles had a broken coating. The engine-mounted heat shield thermal curtains were damaged on all three engines with the worst damage on engine 2. The upper surface and OMS pod TPS was in good condition. Orbiter windows 2 and 5 were lightly hazed, and moderate haze was found on windows 3 and 4.

Six video films plus NASA Select video of the landing at Kennedy Space Center were reviewed and no anomalies were noted. Also, seven films of landing were reviewed, and no anomalies were noted. Sink rates could not be determined as the KSC camera configuration was not compatible for providing these data.

(STS-38 Space Shuttle Mission Report, NSTS-08308, January 1991 – edited)
#371 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:13
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS: November 1990 – December 1990

The Day’s Other Landing

“Increased landings at Edwards may necessitate a dual ferry capability.”

- Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, June 6, 1986 – Recommendations VI, Landing Safety

Piloted by Joe Algranti, Arthur C. “Ace” Beall and “Skip” Guidry, a new Shuttle Carrier Aircraft winged its way into the NASA fleet on Tuesday afternoon, November 20, as the modified Boeing 747 flew from Wichita, Kansas, to Ellington Field en route to its home in El Paso. Christened NASA 911, the new SCA was delivered to NASA at Boeing Military Airplanes facilities in Wichita. It was then transported, via Houston, to El Paso International Airport, where it will be permanently based; there, it will be managed and maintained by JSC’s aircraft maintenance contractor, Northrup Worldwide Aircraft Services, Inc.

During welcoming ceremonies at Ellington, SCA Pilot Joe Algranti presented plaques to previous SCA project managers Dave Finney and Bill Readdy in recognition of their support of the second SCA project. He also presented an Orbiter Ferry Operations group achievement award to L.E. “Skip” Guidry, Chief 747 Flight Engineer.

NASA 911 joins its sister ship, NASA 905, which has ferried all the Space Shuttle orbiters from California to Florida since the inception of the shuttle program. However, an additional carrier aircraft improves system reliability and eliminates a single point failure from the program, said Don Puddy, Director of JSC Flight Crew Operations.

Before joining the NASA fleet, the 747 served as a domestic passenger aircraft for Japan Air Lines. Boeing acquired the aircraft for NASA in 1988; the aircraft was found to be in excellent condition and NASA contracted with Boeing for modifications and delivery within two years. The SCA is a heavy, wide-bodied, swept-wing turbo jet powered by four Pratt and Whitney engines. The SCA is distinguished by three struts protruding from the top of the fuselage for mating of the Space Shuttle orbiters.

Structural bulkheads were installed and the fuselage skin reinforced for support of the attachment struts. Two vertical stabilizers also were added to enhance directional stability, and all interior furnishings and equipment aft of the forward doors have been removed. Following completion of the structural work, the airplane was delivered to Chrysler Technologies in Waco, Texas, for its blue-on-white paint job. The freshly painted Jumbo jet was flown back to Wichita on November 13.

Wingspan of the aircraft is 195 feet 8 inches, with an overall aircraft length of 231 feet 10 inches. The aircraft has a maximum landing weight of 600,000 pounds and travels at a maximum air speed of 0.6 Mach. When mated with an orbiter, NASA 911 cruises from 13,000 to 15,000 feet, but can increase its altitude to a cruising level of 24,000 to 26,000 feet when unmated. It has a range of 1,000 nautical miles when mated and 5,500 when not mated.

(JSC Space News Roundup, Nov. 16 & 30, 1990 – edited)
#372 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:14
November 20: ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR EUROPE’S ARIANE ROCKET
The 40th Ariane rocket, under the directions of Europe’s Arianespace commercial program, took flight on time this evening at 6:11 p.m. EST. The launcher carried two communications satellites, both built by the GE Astro Space Division. Satcom C-1 will provide telecommunications within the U.S. for GE American Communications from an orbital position of 137 degrees West longitude. G-Star IV will do likewise for GTE Spacenet from 125 degrees West longitude.

The V40 launch, the twelfth of the Ariane 4, marked the first flight of the 42P configuration of the booster. The 42P, weighing 350 tons, uses two solid strap-on boosters, which along with the four liquid-propellant engines of the first stage produce a thrust of 887,850 pounds. (Countdown, January 1991 – edited)
#373 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:18
#374 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:20
#375 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:21
November 25: NEWEST MEMBER OF THE DELTA CLUB READY TO GO
McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. intends to inaugurate the newest member of its Delta club tomorrow. Launch of the new, more powerful version of the Delta II rocket is set for approximately 4:32 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 17 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, said Air Force spokesman Senior Airman Michael Amato. The launch window will remain open until 5:03 p.m. EST. Air Force meteorologists predict a 90 percent chance of favorable weather for launch. (Banke, Florida Today, Nov. 26, 1990; Countdown, January 1991 – edited)
#376 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:22
November 26: DELTA 201 LAUNCH CARRIES 10TH NAVSTAR INTO ORBIT
The 201st Delta rocket, launched today at 4:39 p.m. EST, was the premiere for the latest version of the booster, called 7925, saw replacement of the former Thiokol Castor 4A solid strap-ons with Graphic Epoxy Motors (GEMs) manufactured by Hercules Aerospace of Utah. The nine Hercules GEMs have a thrust of 99,000 pounds each, compared to 87,000 pounds each for the Thiokol motors used on Delta’s 200th launch. In addition, the engine bell of the first-stage liquid-fuel engine was enlarged, and the total thrust reached about 800,000 pounds at launch.

“Everything appears to have gone very, very smoothly,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Jim Jannette. Delta 201 carried the tenth Navstar Global Positioning Satellite. The Air Force satellites are used to provide navigation information to military units in the air, land and sea. The $65-million satellite can locate a position within just tens of feet, provide velocity data within inches per second, and times within a millionth of a second. All ten GPS satellites launched by Deltas have been successful. A total of 21 Navstars are to be orbited by Deltas.

Today’s #201 launch marked the eleventh for a Delta rocket in 1990 – with all being successes. Enter #202 – the first launch of 1991 – carrying a NATO communications satellite, poised for launch in January. (Countdown, January 1991; Banke, Florida Today, Nov. 27, 1990 – edited)
#377 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:23
November 26: ATLANTIS POST-FLIGHT SAFING CONTINUES
Normal post-flight safing operations are continuing today on Atlantis in the Orbiter Processing Facility. Cryogenic drain operations were completed November 23 and the thruster plugs have been installed on the shuttle. The payload bay door strong backs are being installed today and the doors are scheduled to be opened tomorrow. (KSC Shuttle Status Report, Nov. 26, 1990)

November 27: ATLANTIS ORDNANCE SAFED
Post-flight pyrotechnic devices have been safed and preparations are underway to offload residual propellants from the Orbital Maneuvering System pods. Routine post-flight checks are being conducted on the three main engines. Post-flight inspections of the Thermal Protection system are about 85 percent complete. (KSC Shuttle Status Report, Nov. 28, 1990)
#378 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:25
November 28: IRON LADY LEAVES DOWNING STREET AFTER 11 YEARS IN OFFICE
Britain has a new prime minister for the first time in more than eleven years. Margaret Thatcher formally tendered her resignation to the Queen early this morning after leaving Downing Street for the last time. John Major was elected her successor yesterday by Conservative Party members.

The woman dubbed as the Iron Lady during her premiership made her last tearful speech as the leader of the country from the doorstep of Number 10. Mrs. Thatcher told reporters the country had become a much improved place in which to live since she took office in 1979. "We're leaving Downing Street for the last time after eleven-and-a-half wonderful years and we're happy to leave the UK in a very much better state than when we came here," she said. She also gave her support to her successor. "Now it's time for a new chapter to open and I wish John Major all the luck in the world," she said.

After the speech she and her husband, Denis, were driven to Buckingham Palace, watched by a small crowd keen to witness this significant moment. "It's part of history and we'd just like to say good bye and wish her well," said one onlooker outside the gates of the palace.

Mrs. Thatcher had a half-hour meeting with the Queen before returning to her private home in Dulwich, south London. Fifteen minutes later Mr. Major arrived at the palace and was formally invited by the Queen to form a new administration. The premiership of Britain's first female leader - and the longest since 1827 - was at an end.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/28/newsid_2527000/2527953.stm
#379 by Ares67 on 16 Dec, 2016 21:28
November 28: U.N. EXPECTED TO AUTHORIZE “ALL NECESSARY MEANS”
Iraq said today it would ignore any U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force to drive it out of Kuwait. "Any decision taken by the Security Council under the present U.S. hegemony is of no concern to us," said al-Thawra, newspaper of the ruling Baath Party."It will not force us to step back or relinquish our national historical rights," it added. Meanwhile, the Pentagon said Baghdad is defiantly sending more troops into Kuwait as the United Nations prepares to vote on a U.S.-sponsored resolution demanding that Iraq withdraw from Kuwait by January 15 or face the likelihood of attack.

The Bush administration, building its case for military action to end the nearly 4-month-old crisis, charged Tuesday, November 27, that Iraq could produce a crude nuclear bomb within a year. However, international nuclear inspectors who visited Iraq last week said they saw no such evidence. White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater rejected the report by the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We think the International Atomic Energy Agency is wrong," said Fitzwater. "They see only what they want to see." Fitzwater repeated President Bush's contention that Baghdad will have a nuclear device in six months.

Iraq's deputy foreign minister said Wednesday in Baghdad that Bush should initiate talks with Saddam Hussein to restore peace in the gulf, although he did not offer concessions regarding Kuwait. Iraq has called for dialogue with the United States previously, but U.S. officials have said there is nothing to discuss as long as Iraq refuses to free all foreign hostages and withdraw unconditionally from Kuwait.

Iraq's deputy prime minister, Taha Yassin Ramadan, said Bush "is leading the entire world to a ruinous war" and "has no choice other than to come to his senses and initiate a dialogue." Ramadan indicated, however, that Iraq had not softened its position on Kuwait, saying it was intent on ousting "aggressors and traitors" from Arab land.

China's foreign minister, Qian Qichen, said in Beijing his country would not vote for the U.N. use-of-force resolution. But he refused to say whether China would veto the measure, which it could do as one of five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. U.S. officials say the Chinese have promised not to oppose the resolution. Qian will meet with Secretary of State James A. Baker III tonight and may be seeking concessions in return for abstaining during Thursday's U.N. vote. China wants Washington to lift economic sanctions it imposed following the June 1989 military crackdown that crushed China's pro-democracy movement. Qian's is the first official visit by a Chinese minister since the crackdown.

The Pentagon estimated Tuesday that Iraq has 450,000 troops in the Kuwaiti theater of operations, up 20,000 from last week. About 230,000 U.S. soldiers are in the region and about 200,000 more are to be sent in coming weeks. Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams said any Iraqi buildup in the region is a further indication that Saddam has no intention of complying with demands that he withdraw, which are already backed by a U.N.-ordered trade embargo.

Iraq will have until January 15 to pull its troops from Kuwait before it faces the prospect of U.N.-authorized military action, Soviet U.N. Ambassador Yuli M. Vorontsov said Tuesday. Soviet and U.S. diplomats fixed the deadline in the past 24 hours, said Western diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity. The resolution authorizes "all necessary means" to get Iraq out of Kuwait after that deadline. Even without China's support, the draft resolution has more than enough pledges of positive votes to pass.

Pentagon estimates that Iraq could produce a "very crude" nuclear device within a year have prompted concern that it could be used against U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia, spokesman Williams said in Washington. Such a device might not be delivered from an airplane or "weaponized in the traditional sense of a nuclear weapon, but it would be capable of doing some damage, of producing some kind of yield," he said.

Gary Milhollin of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control said the administration is exaggerating the danger of Iraq's nuclear program in an effort to gain support for the U.N. resolution authorizing use of force. Milhollin, a nuclear expert, said he didn't think it was a "credible scenario" that Iraq would have nuclear weapons in less than a year.

Senator Edward Kennedy, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says he has knowledge that Iraq could not acquire nuclear weapons within two years. The Massachusetts Democrat has urged that economic sanctions against Iraq remain in place for a year or two before any military action is taken.

Saddam on Tuesday said after meeting with boxing great Muhammad Ali in Baghdad that a number of Americans held in Iraq would soon be allowed to leave the country. In an interview, Ali said the number of hostages Saddam promised to free was not specified but that he would remain in Baghdad until they could fly home. He met Tuesday with some of the Americans detained in Baghdad as "human shields" in case of attack by multinational troops.

Ali, on a mission to Baghdad on behalf of a number of American peace groups, arrived in the Iraqi capital last Wednesday, November 21. He met Tuesday with Saddam for about 50 minutes. During the meeting, the president reiterated his stand on the need for a peaceful settlement to the crisis. Ali said he told the Iraqi leader that a release would be "good for maintaining peace in the area and good for the image of Iraq in the United States." (Deseret News, Reuters, AP, UPI, Nov. 28, 1990 – edited)

November 29: UNITED NATIONS TURNS UP THE HEAT ON IRAQ
Even though the United States has the votes to pass a U.N. resolution authorizing military force to drive Iraq from Kuwait, Secretary of State James Baker lobbied for it up to the last minute. The resolution, expected to pass overwhelmingly this afternoon, would authorize an attack if Iraqi troops do not withdraw by January 15, diplomats say.The only other time the Security Council has sanctioned force to counter aggression was during the Korean War.

Baker was presiding over today’s meeting. On Wednesday night, he met with Cuba's foreign minister, Isidoro Malmierca, then with China's top envoy, Qian Qichen. Both countries have said they would not vote in favor of the measure, although U.S. officials say China was not expected to exercise the veto power it wields as one of five permanent Security Council members. Baker's talk with Malmierca was the first formal U.S.-Cuban meeting in more than 30 years. The two countries still lack formal relations.

Today Iraq renewed its bitter criticism of the proposed resolution, which the ruling party newspaper called a "declaration of war." President Saddam Hussein accused the United States of pushing the United Nations into using "double standards" - supporting resolutions against Iraq but not those against Israel. The Arab Baath Socialist Party newspaper Al-Thawra suggested the resolution could provoke a backlash: "increased resistance by the oppressed."

The Security Council yesterday took another step against Iraq, condemning atrocities committed against Kuwaitis and placing Kuwait's civil records in U.N. custody. The council voted 15-0 to adopt a resolution that "condemns the attempts by Iraq to alter the demographic composition" of Kuwait and to destory the country's civil records. U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar was asked to take over the records of the Kuwaiti government and its population of nearly two million, which is composed of 39 percent ethnic Kuwaitis, 39 percent other Arabs and the rest from India, Iran and Pakistan.

IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

- A former Navy secretary said today that President Bush must not add to his "error" of ordering 430,000 troops to the region by attacking Iraq. "The President's mistake in sending so many troops should not be compounded by a further error in using them in a premature, unprovoked ground offensive," James Webb told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Webb, who served in the Reagan administration, is the third former top military official to urge caution in the gulf. Two former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday Bush should give sanctions against Iraq more time to work before going to war.
- Senator Bob Dole, R-Kan., the Senate minority leader, said in a statement Wednesday the chances were "better than 50-50" for a special congressional session on the gulf crisis, probably before Christmas. White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said Bush remains reluctant to call Congress back to discuss the gulf crisis. "Let's wait and see," Fitzwater said today, suggesting Bush would consult with members of Congress he has invited to the White House tomorrow about the possibility of a special session.
- Vice President Dan Quayle argued against waiting too long. "Does patience today risk greater American casualties tomorrow?" Quayle asked in remarks to Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. "Even as we exercise patience and restraint, we must also be alert to the moral costs of such a course." He said that "with every day that passes," the plight of the people of Kuwait "grows more desperate." Furthermore, Quayle asked, "will continued patience with Iraq help make the world vulnerable to nuclear blackmail by Saddam" and if so, is this a moral course of action?

The U.N. use-of-force resolution remained on track after the United States, presiding over the council this month, delayed a vote Wednesday on whether to deploy U.N. observers to protect Palestinians in Israeli-occupied lands. Seeking to maintain its alliance with Arab countries opposing Iraq, Washington wants to avoid having to veto or abstain in a vote that would offend Israel. U.S. officials also wanted to pass the use-of-force resolution before Saturday, when the council presidency passes to Yemen, which has sympathized with Iraq. "Either we will build civilized relations between states, a new world order and new policy, or will live by the law of the jungle," Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze said upon arriving in New York on Wednesday.

Baker personally has consulted all 14 other Security Council members. At least 12 appeared solidly behind the resolution. With nine votes needed to pass, Cuba, Yemen and China were the holdouts. Malmierca said after meeting with Baker that he found the resolution "not acceptable." Baker and Qian refused to answer reporters' questions when they got together at midnight Wednesday at a New York hotel. Earlier Qian said he would not vote in favor of the resolution. China had not said publicly how it would vote. (Deseret News, Nov. 29, 1990 – edited)

November 30: IRAQ PONDERS BUSH'S OFFER FOR NEGOTIATIONS
Iraq's leaders on today pondered President Bush's offer to negotiate an Iraqi pullout from Kuwait. The Iraqi ambassador to France called it "an important step toward peace." However, earlier in the day, Iraq's ruling Revolutionary Command Council rejected the U.N. Security Council's latest ultimatum to withdraw from Kuwait. The seven-member body said Iraq would fight to keep the conquered emirate. There was no immediate official comment from the Iraqi capital on Bush's offer to dispatch Secretary of State James Baker and invite Iraqi officials to Washington for talks on an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait.

The Iraqi leadership seemed taken by surprise by Bush's announcement. They immediately went back into session to discuss the development, diplomats said, but it was not known who attended the meeting. Iraqi officials said later that the government would make no official comment until Saturday. However, the Iraqi ambassador to France, Abdul Razzack al Hashimi, told the BBC radio: "This is an important step, really, toward peace, and we hope it is going to achieve what we are all striving for, negotiations instead of beating the drums of war. I consider it very good news."

There was an announcement on television that major demonstrations would be held Saturday - Martyrs' Day - to protest the U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing military force against Iraq if it does not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15. The resolution was passed Thursday in New York. But the nightly news passed with no mention of Washington's offer of talks. Baghdad's reticence was seen as an indication officials do not want to appear too eager to respond to Bush's initiative.

For weeks, Iraqi officials have said they would welcome talks with U.S. officials on the gulf crisis but rejected demands that Iraq first withdraw unconditionally from Kuwait. Officials in Britain, Italy, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organization, Libya, Yemen and Saudi Arabia welcomed Bush's proposal. One Saudi newspaper publisher, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "I imagine that Bush would not have been ready to send his foreign minister to Baghdad unless he secured some encouraging commitment from the Iraqi leadership."

Libya, a longtime foe of U.S. policies, greeted Bush's announcement warmly. At the United Nations, Libyan Ambassador Ali Treikki congratulated Bush for making a "good step forward for a peaceful solution" in the gulf. Yemen, the only Arab country in the 15-nation Security Council to vote against the resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, also praised the offer. "That's the best news we have had in a long time, it's very promising," Yemen's U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Saleh Al-Ashtal told reporters.

"We welcome Mr. Bush's initiative," said Jordan's foreign minister, Marwan Qassem. "This decision complies with Jordan's proposal calling for dialogue." Jordan has tried to mediate between Iraq and the nations supporting the ousted Kuwaiti government. The Palestine Liberation Organization - also supportive of Iraq - called Bush's action "the first constructive step."

Kuwaitis expressed doubt Saddam would bend and accept peace. Hassan Abdul-Aziz, a Kuwait University professor and a volunteer in the Kuwaiti information office in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, said: "We are convinced this person and his regime understand only force. We are heartened to see that almost all the nations of the world support us."

Congressional leaders emerged from an hour-long meeting with Bush later Friday praising the decision to send Baker to Baghdad."It's an opportunity to express face-to-face to Saddam Hussein the commitment of the American people" to Bush's policy to end the occupation of Kuwait, said House Speaker Thomas S. Foley, D-Wash. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, called the Baker trip "a good idea" and said he agreed with Bush that a special session of Congress was not needed. But Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., while praising Bush for sending Baker to Iraq, accused Congress of wanting "to sit this one out" rather than meeting to adopt a resolution of support. (Deseret News, Associated Press, Dec. 1, 1990 – edited)