GULF WATCH: Day 78 : A Daily Briefing Paper On Developments In The Crisis

Diplomatic Front:

President Bush will confer today with Soviet envoy Yevgeny Primakov, who has met in recent days with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and French President Francois Mitterrand.

In Vienna, French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas and Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze said that sanctions against Iraq should be given more time to take effect. Military Front:

A majority of Europeans in a recent Gallup poll supported military action if sanctions fail to force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. The margin of support was 86% in Britain, 75% in France, 66% in Spain, 63% in Germany and 59% in Italy.

Iraqi diplomats in Washington acknowledged that occupying troops had committed “isolated” abuses in Kuwait, but they said Western reports of widespread atrocities were unfounded. Economic Front:

Iraq said it would be willing to sell crude oil for $21 a barrel, about half the prevailing market price, with the payments to be placed in a U.N. escrow fund pending resolution of the gulf crisis. Countries That Have Pledged Gulf Aid:

Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates: $7 billion

Kuwait: $5 billion

Japan: $4 billion

Germany: $2 billion

European Community: $2 billion

South Korea: $220 million

Italy: $157 million