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US engineers gear up emergency plan

$50b to be needed to rebuild Kuwait
DHAHRAN. Feb 28 : US mH itary engineers tn Kuwait are gearing up to clear rubble, repair streets and rebuild sea ports under a 90-day emer gency programme financed by the Emirate’s government, reports AP
Kuwaiti officials estimate it will cost at least 50 billion dollars to rebuild their shattered country and already have signed 171 contracts with US companies. Others have been awarded to several allied na tions.
'In spite of all our anticipatory thinking. I think what the Iraqis have done is beyond anybody s imagination and re lief. Kuwaiti Planning Minister Suleiman Mutawa said WcdiM-sday
The US Army Corps of Engineers was awarded the 45-mllllon dollar contract to run the first 90 days of the cleanup. They will not begin before they get the go-ahead from allied military author! lies that the city is safe.
Only sketchy reports arc available of the extent of de strucUon. Hut reports from the city say there is no water or electricity, and Kuwait offl clals doubt there will be telephone service or medical supplies.
Mehran Nakhjavani. an expert on the Kuwait economy who teaches at Montreal's McGill University, said the emirate's desalination plants were destroyed.The retreating Iraqis also blew up the city's main power station as well as a backup facility.
Abdlatlf al Hamad. who heads the Kuwait-based Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, said officials were worried that too many Kuwaitis might flood back home in a hurry and strain overstretched resources
One of the first priorities is to bring In several satellite dishes to provide International phone lines so exiled Kuwaitis ran contact their families and make sure they're safe.
"That way, we can cool down the desire to rush into Kuwait.' said al Hamad, who moved his headquarters to a temporary office In Bahrain alter the Aug 2 Iraqi Invasion.
The largest question mark hangs over the oil industry. Iraqi forces set ablaze around 600 oil wells, half of Kuwait's producing capacity. In the Iasi days of their occupation
Kuwait was producing more than 1.6 mllllor. barrels of oil a day before the Iraqi Invasion. There have been some cs-
ttmates from Kuwaiti officials that pre-war production levels could be restored within a year to 18 months.
Reconstruction will Impose its own strains Economists anticipate price inflation and a budget deficit that wil persist for several years.
For the jubilant KwalUs that is far Into the future and for now they arc concentrating on urgent first aid for their shattered economy
PARIS. Feb 28 An eartier report said Kuwait s central bank governor estimated Wednesday that 650 oil wells are on fire In his country and that nine months may be needed before oil production can resume, reports AP
In an interview with the centrist French daily newspaper Le Monde from his office in London. Sheik Salam Al Sabah predicted that reconstruction of the war-ruined Emirate could cost between 10 billion and 100 billion dofiara.
'll private sector losses are included, that which was pillaged. it could reach 500 billion dollars.' he was quoted as saying.
Kuwait's ambassador to France. Tarek Razzouql. meanwhile said the Emirate would abandon martial law.