INTERNATIONAL
Six-hour meeting comes to naught; war looms
GENEVA (AP) — Secretary of
State lames A Baker anti Iraqi
Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz
met for six hours on Wednes
day but failed to defuse the Per
sian Gulf crisis that threatens
war in the Middle East. "The
time for talk is running out."
Baker said.
President Bush, in Washing
ton. accused the Iraqis of "a to
tal stiff-arm, a total rebuff.”
and refused to rule out launch
ing the first attack if Iraq
doesn't withdraw from Kuwait
by next Tuesday's deadline set
by the United Nations.
Aziz blamed the United
States for the crisis and said.
“We will not yield to threats"
demanding Iraqi withdrawal
from Kuwait.
Baker said the United States
and its allies possess the "pow
er and the will" to evict Iraqi
forces, and some members of
Congress said the outcome of
the talks would make it easier
for Bush to win congressional
backing for such action.
The standoff in Switzerland
seemed to leave UN Secretary
General Javier Perez de Cuellar
as the man with the best chance
for forging a peaceful solution.
U.N. officials, speaking on con
dition of anonymity, said he
would travel to Baghdad in the
next few days on a journey
blessed in advance by both
nusn ana a/.iz
The Baker-A/.iz talks were
the first high-level discussions
between the two nations in the
five months since lra(| invaded
Kuwait The two men sat across
a blue-draped hotel conference
table, with the world eagerly
awaiting (hi? outcome of their
conversations.
Oil prices fell sharply in ear
ly trading as word spread that
the talks had not broken apart
abruptly, then soared within
moments of Baker’s pessimistic
report of his session. Stock
prices moved in the other di
rection climbing as the talks
wore on. plunging after Baker's
statement
In the Saudi Arabian desert,
across the border from Iraq's
occupying army, the massive
American military force went
about its business. Hush has or
dered more than •100,000 troops
into the region, backed by so
phisticated aircraft, a huge ar
mada and hundreds of tanks.
Aziz, whose nation invaded
Kuwait last summer, pledged it
would not attack first in the
current crisis. Hut. in the event
of a war. he said Iraq would
"absolutely yes” attack Israel.
Hush, asked if he would
make the same commitment,
answered curtly, "No."
"It's not too late" to resolve
the crisis short of war, he said,
but added that he was discour
aged by the day's events.
Haker told reporters his meet
ings with Aziz were diplomati
cally polite —■ no table-pound
ing or yelling. Yet he said Aziz
refused to carry back to Bagh
dad a letter from Hush to Sad
dam. American diplomats will
be leaving the Iraqi capital on
Saturday, he added, three days
before the deadline for possible
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attack
Aziz said the letter contained
language inappropriate for an
exchange between heads of
state Asked about that. Hush
said the letter was "not rude"
but direct, an attempt to make
sure Saddam clearly under
stands the II.S. position
Baker told reporters. "Regret
tably. I heard nothing today
that suggested to me any lra<|i
flexibility" on a withdrawal
from Kuwait Aziz did not once
bring up the subject of Kuwait
during his news conference,
outlining instead Iraq’s call for
a conference to address the
rights of Palestinians.
Optimistic assessments of the
talks were hard to find.
"It's the dialogue of the
deaf," said Sen. John C.lenn of
Ohio. "They're lust talking
past each other."
Kach side said it was up to
the other to prevent war.
"I.et us iill hopo that the (Ira
(ji) leadership will have the
wisdom to choose peace.” said
Baker
Said Aziz "That's up to the
American administration to de
cide
In the meantime, the five
month war of nerves was un
abated
Said Saddam Hussein in lrai|
Americans will "swim in their
own blood" if war breaks out
The president issued an exec
utive order giving the govern
ment authority to get priority
delivery of any needed food or
industrial material. and
stepped up lus campaign for a
divided House and Senate to
grant him unfettered authority
to wage war. Some lawmakers
said the outcome of the talks
made it more likely that Bush
would win the support he's
seeking
"It might change
some
minds.” said Rep )ohn Mur
tha, D-Pa
Defense Secretary Dick
Cheney said he was weighing
whether seek presidential an
thorite to keep reservists on at
live duty for up to two years
under legal provisions that
would permit him to call up a
million reservists something
he said he has no Intention of
doing Without a new presided
tial proclamation, tours of re
servists in support units would
expire after 1 HU da\s. for most
of them in mid l obruarv
Said Hush in issuing his ex
ecutive order. "The United
States must have the capability
to rapidly mobilize its re
sources in the interest of na
tional security .”
Hush said at the White House
the talks had not advanced
hopes for peace 'one inch” un
less Aziz returns to Haghdad
and lolls Saddam of I S. deter
mination to press for .1 with
drawal.
Saddam sparked tho crisis
when he soul his invading
army into Kuwait on Aug. 2
Hush swiftly assembled a re
markablo international coali
tion lo oppose I lit* at lion - in
cluding tiio Soviet Union
and the United Nations first
slapped an economic embargo
on Iraq and then issued the |an
la deadline lo withdraw or face
the use of force.
The Haknr-Aziz sessions were
seen as perhaps the last chance
lo head off the movement to
ward war. although Baker said.
"This is still a confrontation
that Iraq can avoid."
Bush said in advance there
would lie no compromise on
the United Nations for a com
plete. unilateral Iraqi with
drawal from Kuwait
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