IRAQ: RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES (U)

Created: 6/22/1984

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

-

Ankles

Iraq; Relations With Ibe United States BJBI

but summer Iraq baa been trying to enliii US support for iu efforuorce Iran lo Etc negotiating table. Iraq waou the Uniied Sutea lo support in arm* embargo against Iran aod to provide aid in -fuodin1 and fin*lternative eapon route* for Iraqi oil. We bdlcvc thatIt work tolis with tbe United SUlca aa long ai it believe* Wajhingion can help it end Ibe war. At tbe lame lime.uiptciou* af US-Middle Eul policy, which ilverly influenced by brad.

Backtm*

When Iraq announced laat summer that il planned to aiuck Gulf (hipping tuinf iu newly aoquuod Super Cicadardbe Uniied SUlca appealed in Ihe United Nation* for moderation. No agreeineni to realrain iuclf wu forthcoming from Iraq, but Baghdad subsequently proposed Ihat Waahinglon help it end the war. Pouibly in aa attempt to conciliate WaabiO|ioa. Iraq moderated iu tlandumber of foreign policy iuuei

announced tupponroposed Iraqi oil pipeline link.ordan. Washington recommended the to-called Aqaba line to theImport Bank,oMideriniiupplyini lean guarantee* for tha

Tat Aqaba Prelect

USjapproeaeottft! with Iraq dm encountered difficuliv over Wainington'i attempt* lo aid Dm Aqtbe project. Baghdad wanU the pipeline built becauje ihe new Una could lignificanuy off jet Iraqi oil revenue lone* nutaiocd when Damuca* doted ihe Iraq-Syria lineZ. Iraq,neasy about ihe Aqaba roule, wbka would pau doae io ibe Iwacli border aod (hu* bc vulnerable to liradi aiuck.

In an attempt to tninre tha safety of the Aqaba line, Washington aiked luad for guarantees of the project'a aafety. The Uracil preu learned of Wa*hingtoe'i approach,umber of artieta appeared speculating on the Iraqi seed for guarantee*.

r

official Iraqi newspaper Al Ttiawrah heaped toora on uracil preuhat Baghdadto improve relation* wiih uMiib sute. Tba paper claimed that Iraq would not consider egotiating with Israel, directly or Mireeuy

the oil front, Washington

i*m) hi

aaasicei wlrftr*ifKhe Persian Gulf.

US dealings with Iraq were troubled anew in March, when lhe Sum Department condemned Iraq's use of chemical weapons

iu publicly espressed irritation, Baghdadlo overlook ihe condemnation. The ccnuorcny iccruptrd, however, when reporu appeared ia lha US ptcu of ia slletcd US-Israeli planestroy Iraq's chemical facilities. Washington discounted lha reports as fanciful. Baghdad took Ihem seriously.ote lo the United Nations. Iraq's Foreign Minitier observed that tbe Western media waslimate of hyueri* in preparation for sues attacks. Baghdadimilar anti-Iraq campaign was wagede WcstfbajaaB Insci attacked Eraq'i nuclear reactor

The Arm Eaaberga

US-Iraq reUuoaa also have rua into difTiculiy over tba arms embargo.

Iraq's First Deputy Prime Minuter Taha Yasin Ramadan has repeatedly charged that tha United States and Israel are conspiring to penetrate the Gulf.eport from Moscow. Ramadan claimed that Washington waa tryingcare the Gulf iiatea into permitting US bases ia tbe region. Once the Americana are established in the Gulf. Ramadan maintained, ihey,wilh Israel. would be sola to stab lhe Arab nation in the IjcL H

May Baghdad newspapers promincnily reproduced an ankle by Egyptian ccnunenutor Huaaanayn Htykal. in which Hiitil reported ia detail on the alleged ItracMraa

Omloc*

We belicva lhal improved relations with the United Slate* are desired by Iraq's President Saddam Huxayn. who apparently is convinced Washington can help bun end the war. Al tbe same time, we believe Saddam's opening ipjbe United Sutea is opposed by some Iraqi leaders.

Pteetrsdea La lb* Cuf

Eierr.eais in the Iraqi ruling clique appuently suspect that the United States with Israelitrying to exploit the Irsn-Iraq war to gsin military

IOjSO

Nr-enheless.o not belim Saddam -ill live ini hardliner! as long aa ha believe* the United States an help him to pub Iran to tha Kgouetlng table- Saddamragmaiiil who hai rarely, permuted ideology to dictate policy stands.

Israeli officials publicly asked Iraq to allow lsrad"to connect tbe Aqeba line to an existing Israels Eilal-Ashkelon pipeline- Baghdad was enraged by this suggestion and became even more upset when Tehran publicized the Israeli proposal. Tehran sarcastically suggested that Baghdad was about toajor oil supplier of toe Isradt

Original document.

---

---