Word: aminations
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...other naval vessels, which had been cruising in the Indian Ocean, to stand by off the East African coast. The ships were not really equipped for an airborne rescue operation-together they carried fewer than 200 Marines-but Washington hoped that their presence would have an inhibiting influence on Amin. White House Press Secretary Jody Powell told reporters: "The President will take whatever steps he thinks are necessary and proper to protect American lives...
Late Friday morning in Washington, Paul Chepkwurui, the Ugandan chargé d'affaires, assured the State Department that Amin "merely wants to meet the people to reassure them that nothing will happen to them." Later, reporters asked Chepkwurui why Idi Amin was detaining the Americans. "Well, you know," said the diplomat blithely, "there are some bad people in Uganda, and maybe if some of these missionaries tried to leave on their own, they might be harassed or something...
...noon Friday, the White House had received a rambling, 1,000-word cable from Amin to Carter. After explaining away the death of the archbishop, Amin declared that he had heard reports from Nairobi that "5,000 American Marines are supposed to come and rescue 250 American missionaries in Uganda." This would be impossible, Amin continued, because "the Americans in Uganda are happy and are scattered all over the country," and, in any case, "Uganda has the strength to crush any invaders." Amin, who thinks that all his difficulties are inflicted upon him by Jews, accused Carter of being...
...message largely confirmed what Washington had suspected: Amin's anger had been sparked by Jimmy Carter's harsh press conference comment, which was bound to provoke Amin. It also seemed to imply that Amin was up to his old trick of blackmailing foreign powers into taking him seriously. Last year he restricted the movement of the several hundred Britons in Uganda after London broke off diplomatic relations with Kampala. Amin forbade the British residents to leave the country until they had met him and submitted a memorandum on how well they had been treated. They...
Still later Friday, Washington received reports from Kampala that Amin was planning to turn this week's command performance into a sort of July 4 barbecue. By this week, Big Daddy might even be proclaiming, as he has done in the past, "I love the Americans. They are my best friends." He might be admonishing Jimmy Carter to "pull up his socks"-a bit of advice he once gave the Queen of England...