New Iraqi leader retains hard-line stance
Analysis by
STEVE HANSELMAN
For the Emerald
According to a United Press
International dispatch from
Baghdad. General Saddam
Hussein has succeeded Almad
Hassan al-Bakr as president of
Iraq and. "Little or no change is
expected in Baghdad's hard
line stand against the United
States and the Egyptian-lsraeli
peace "
Hussein had been the vice
president since 1968 and had
shared power with al-Bakr since
1973
The transfer of power may in
fact represent a hardening of
the Iraqi position In late June.
Saddam Hussein visited Jordan
for two days of talks with King
Hussein on the situation in the
Middle East following the recent
air battle between Israeli and
Syrian jets over southern
Lebanon
According to the Arab News,
printed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,
the results of the visit were de
scribed by Iraqi officials as
"very good "
The 'iiscussions were seen as
part of continuing inter-Arab
diplomatic activity after the
signing of the Egyptian-lsraeli
peace treaty
Shortly after his return to Iraq
from Amman, the Jordanian
capital. Saddam Hussein pub
licly announced that his country
was moving toward
confrontation with Israel Arab
News quoted him as saying.
Iraq is preparing itself in the
economic, political, social, in
tellectual and military fields to
liberate Jerusalem and all
Palestine “
Some Arab observers dismiss
Hussein's statement as political
rhetoric aimed at satisfying
violently anti-Israeli public opin
ion in Iraq Others see it as part
ot a steady movement toward
confrontation in the Middle
East
An Arab News editorial pub
lished July 10 called on the
United States to recognize the
Palestinian Liberation Organ
ization as an indispensable step
toward peace in the region
American emissary Robert
Strauss was criticized for his
statement that the chances for
American recognition of the
PLO were ‘ between slim and
zero "
Strauss statement aroused
wide-spread anger in the Arab
world, and Arab News com
mented that the “political lame
ness’’ of Pres Carter was
blocking all hope of peace, ad
ding. “The slide to war has more
momentum and weight behind it
at present, and it is in the im
mediate as well as long term
interests of the United States to
stop that.”
According to the Saudi
Gazette. Strauss stated during
the course of his visit to Saudi
Arabia that the United States
would not make concessions on
the Palestinian question as a
result of any Arab attempt to use
the “oil weapon" to force the
United States to change its
policy
The United States policy
makes official contact with the
PLO conditional on its accep
tance of U N Security Council
Resolution 242 and Israel's right
to exist
The PLO refuses to accept
Resolution 242 because it refers
to the Palestinians as a
"refugee problem" rather than
■ - .. ..- .
as a national group with political
rights
PLO chief Yasser Arafat stat
ed on July 4 that he expected a
major Israeli offensive on
Palestinian camps in Lebanon
Arafat made his remarks shortly
after briefing Arab and Soviet
bloc ambassadors on increased
Israeli military activity
Arab News quoted the Pales
tinian commando leader as say
ing, “I expect big military oper
ations We expect a long, hot
summer But we are not an easy
nut to crack.”
Arafat hinted that the PLO
might attempt to sink super
tankers in the Strait of Hormuz,
thus blocking all oil traffic from
the Persian Gulf to the West
Referring to Israeli raids in
Lebanon. Arafat said, "Israelis
using sophisticated American
supplied weapons are following
a scorched-earth policy blessed
and approved by the United
States "
On the diplomatic front, ef
forts are underway to establish
Arab cooperation and a com
mon front against Israel
During the first week of July.
Pres Hafez Assad of Syria
travelled to Algiers to meet with
Algerian president Chadli Ben
jedid to discuss the current si
tuation in the Middle East
Arab News emphasized that
both Syria and Algeria are
members of the Arab front op
posed to the Egyptian Israeli
peace
At the same time. Libyan
leader Muammar Oaddafi ar
rived in Riyadh on an official
state visit to Saudi Arabia Qad
daft was greeted at the airport
by a welcoming delegation
headed by King Khaled and
Crown Prince Fahd
M iwucu aiwi
Saudi-Libyan talks said that the
peace treaty ignored the Pales
tinian people s rights and
violated the Arab League
charter. Both sides called for
the full implementation of poli
tical and economic sanctions
against Egypt.
Iraq and Syria entered into a
political union in October, and
are attempting to establish a
joint military command. The
combined military forces of the
two countries would include
more than 4,000 tanks and 700
combat aircraft
Efforts are underway to inte
grate Jordan, with 500 tanks
and 75 aircraft, into the alliance
(the International Institute of
Strategic Studies calculates Is
rael’s forces at 3,000 tanks and
540 aircraft).
In addition, the Arab coun
tries, led by Saudi Arabia, are
attempting to form a united
front. Arab News reported that
recent Saudi military maneuvers
formed the backdrop for a sum
mit conference The conference
was attended by King Khaled
and the rulers of the United Arab
Emirates Bahrein. Kuwait and
North Yemen
The conference was, in part, a
response to rumors of possible
American military intervention
in the region to secure oil sup
plies.
Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan. UAE
President, told reporters that,
"No state, whatever its size, is
entitled to threaten the peace
and security of the region."
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