US - British defense officials to visit Kuwait, full Iraqi compliance required

The US secretary of defense and British minister of defense are going to visit their countries' forces in the Gulf during the current month to remind Baghdad that the two countries insist on full Iraqi compliance to UN demands.

Foreign officials told ArabicNews.com that the usual issues of cooperation will be tackled but the main issue is that of Iraq and what should be done if Baghdad and the UN do not reach a solution to their current dispute concerning the inspection of Iraqi prohibited weapons.

Meanwhile, both Washington and London are seeking to convince Kuwait to buy from them its needs of military equipment necessary for Command Communication and Control centers.

The US Department of Defense yesterday announced the possible sale of 195 single-channel ground and airborne radio systems (SINCGARS), installation kits, platforms, base stations, radios and radio systems to Kuwait at an approximate cost of $113 million. The sale would include technical and logistic support as well as spare parts, built by United Defense Limited Partnership.

The official said that British Minister of Defense George Robertson and US Secretary of Defense William Cohen will arrive in Kuwait during the current month. Cohen -- whose regional visit will also include stops in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Saudi Arabia -- is scheduled to leave Washington tomorrow and return on October 14.