Word: aziz
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Just after 10 p.m. local time, phones rang, beepers went off and dinner parties were interrupted by aides handing messages to senior Israeli officials. Secretary of State James Baker had just emerged from his meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz in Geneva and announced that the talks had failed. That was good news to members of Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's government, who dreaded a deal linking the gulf crisis with Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. But their sense of relief did not last long. Appearing before reporters about an hour later, Aziz was asked...
...Aziz's words unnerved U.S. officials, who realize that Iraq's threats contain a brutal logic. If Saddam can strike even a limited blow against Israel, he may be able to recast the gulf conflict into an Arab-Israeli war, forcing some of Washington's Arab allies to abandon the coalition and perhaps even compelling Syria to switch sides. That gamble must have seemed all the more tempting last Wednesday, when President Hosni Mubarak was quoted as warning that Egypt would reassess its position if Israel became involved -- though he conceded later that "Israel has a right to defend itself...
...Aziz was careful to qualify his latest threat, vowing to strike Israel only if his nation is first attacked by the U.S.-led forces. His statement may have been disingenuous. If Saddam truly intends to embroil Jerusalem in the conflict, he'll have to use his weapons before they are destroyed on the ground by a massive U.S. air strike...
...entire 387 minutes that U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz met in Geneva last week, a brown manila envelope lay unopened on the table, mute testimony to the breach between their positions. The package contained a letter from President Bush to Saddam Hussein conveying in stark terms Washington's determination to see Iraq leave Kuwait. Baker had given Aziz a photocopy of the letter at the outset of the meeting. As Baker and the 16 other officials present looked on, the Iraqi read the message slowly, his hands trembling. Finally, he said he could...
...middle of the table, instructing an American security agent to keep an eye on it. As the meeting ended, Baker made a last stab. "Mr. Minister, I want to ask one more time. Are you sure that you do not want to receive this letter?" he said. "Yes," Aziz replied. Baker picked up the envelope and left the room...