THE GULF WAR: The Diplomatic Front : In the Mideast

KUWAIT’S government-in-exile welcomed President Bush’s ultimatum for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to withdraw from Kuwait. “We feel relief that he (Bush) is going to give him a certain time to get out,” said Hasan Sanade, deputy information minister. “If he withdraws, I think there will be no ground war. If he doesn’t, I think there will be no alternative.” ISRAEL expressed relief that Bush’s ultimatum appeared to cut short a Soviet-backed peace plan. “Obviously, we think that destroying Iraq’s army is in the minds of the coalition, and this matches our goals,” said a spokesman. In Tunis, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat said Iraq showed a “positive attitude” in accepting the Soviet plan.