Donald Rumsfeld can celebrate his 21st anniversary today in his role of presidential envoy to Iraq in 1983. In a meeting on December 20th 1984, Rumsfeld met with Saddam Hussein as well as Tariq Aziz, former deputy Prime Minister, in an effort to restore relations with Iraq since their separation in 1967. In the 90 minute conference, Rumsfled delivered a letter from then President Reagan to which Saddam was satisfied that political discussions with the U.S. were serious and frank. The president used a direct quote from Rumsfled’s statement to the foreign minister -”Having a whole generation of Iraqis and Americans grow up without understanding each other had negative implications and could lead to mix-ups.” Rumsfeld stated that if generations of Iraqis and Americans did not have “natural” interactions “at all levels” than it would “contribute to areas if ignorance and warped, unclear views that’s were in no one’s interest.” Rumsfled further stated that “Nations that export terrorism and extremism ought to be recognized as such. People should know that terrorism has a Home - In Iran, Syria and Libya. The Soviet Union has in the past and is today contributing to it, Terrorism adversely affects the Sovereignty and Independence of Nations. We feel extremely strongly about it.“ This meeting fertilized the seed for the official re-establishment of U.S. and Iraqi relations. What is so eerily transparent in these talks is Rumsfeld failure to question the allegations brought forth by a United Nations as well as the State Departments reports alleging Iraq’s chemical weapons use.
http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB...B82/iraq31.pdf http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB82/
Dec 20, 2004, 01:15 am
