Gulf peace possible—Minister

Press, 24 April 1984, Page 6

Gulf peace possible —Minister

NZPA-AP Bagdad The Iraqi Information Minister, Mr Latif Nsayef Jassem, says that a settlement of the Gulf war is possible, even under the Iranian Government led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeiny.

Mr Jassem in an interview with the Associated Press, disagreed with those who asserted that Ayatollah Khomeiny’s hatred for the Iraqi President, Mr Saddam Hussein, was so great that the war could not end before the death of Iran’s 84-year-old patriarch. Ayatollah Khomeiny has said that the war will end only when Mr Hussein is overthrown. Mr Jassem said that when Ayatollah Khomeiny

felt the war would cost him his life and the life of his regime he would turn to peace.

“He is a politician, not an ideologue.”

Mr Jassem also asserted that his country had the ability to continue the three and a half year old war. He spoke in Arabic and his words were translated into English by a Government employee.

Mr Jassem said that an example of an earlier reversal in Ayatollah Khomeiny’s views had occurred in the case of the American hostages held by Iran for more than a year before their release in 1981.

He said that Ayatollah Khomeiny considered the United States to be “the

greatest Satan,” then he had dealt with it. He had demanded SUS 24 million (about $36.5 million) for their release, after which he had released them for nil.

Mr Jassem said that the voices for peace were widening in Iran. He asserted that the Iranian Army had been reluctant to launch the February offensive into the southern marshes of Iraq, but that the Revolutionary Guards controlled by Ayatollah Khoemeiny had pushed for the attack. During the attack Iran had quickly taken undefended Iraqi territory, but areas held by Iraqi troops had been captured only after heavy Iranian losses. Mr Jassem was confident

that a new offensive threatened by Iran would be turned back. “The coming defeat — it is assured — will oblige them to think of peace.” He said that once that happened, Ayatollah Khomeiny would ride the wave of peace. Mr Jassem said that Iraqi morale was limitless and that his nation’s economy, though strained, could withstand the pressure of the war.

He said that the country’s economic difficulties during the war were something natural, but added: “We are trying to raise our economy again.”

He cited plans to build pipelines or enlarge oil export pipelines to increase Iraq’s oil revenues.