    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [February 22, 1991]
    [Pages 165-166]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Persian Gulf Conflict
    February 22, 1991

        Good morning.
        The United States and its coalition allies are committed to
    enforcing the United Nations resolutions that call for Saddam Hussein to
    immediately and unconditionally leave Kuwait. In view of the Soviet
    initiative which, very frankly, we appreciate, we want to set forth this
    morning the specific criteria that will ensure Saddam Hussein complies
    with the United Nations mandate.
        Within the last 24 hours alone we have heard a defiant,
    uncompromising address by Saddam Hussein, followed less than 10 hours
    later by a statement in Moscow that, on the face of it, appears more
    reasonable. I say ``on the face of it'' because the statement promised
    unconditional Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait, only to set forth a number
    of conditions. And needless to say, any conditions would be unacceptable
    to the international coalition and would not be in compliance with the
    United Nations Security Council Resolution 660's demand for immediate
    and unconditional withdrawal.
        More importantly and more urgently, we learned this morning that
    Saddam has now launched a scorched-earth policy against Kuwait,
    anticipating perhaps that he will now be forced to leave. He is wantonly
    setting fires to and destroying the oil wells, the oil tanks, the export
    terminals, and other installations of that small country. Indeed,
    they're destroying the entire oil production system of Kuwait. At the
    same time that

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    that Moscow press conference was going on and Iraq's Foreign Minister
    was talking peace, Saddam Hussein was launching Scud missiles.
        After examining the Moscow statement and discussing it with my
    senior advisers here late last evening and this morning, and after
    extensive consultation with our coalition partners, I have decided that
    the time has come to make public with specificity just exactly what is
    required of Iraq if a ground war is to be avoided.
        Most important, the coalition will give Saddam Hussein until noon
    Saturday to do what he must do: begin his immediate and unconditional
    withdrawal from Kuwait. We must hear publicly and authoritatively his
    acceptance of these terms. The statement to be released, as you will
    see, does just this and informs Saddam Hussein that he risks subjecting
    the Iraqi people to further hardship unless the Iraqi Government
    complies fully with the terms of the statement.
        We will put that statement out soon. It will be in considerable
    detail. And that's all I'll have to say about it right now.
        Thank you very much.

                        Note: The President spoke at 10:43 a.m. in the Rose
                            Garden at the White House. In his remarks, he
                            referred to President Saddam Hussein and Foreign
                            Minister Tariq `Aziz of Iraq.