In February 2003, a few weeks before the war started,
I was in Malaysia attending the Non-Aligned Summit and while I was
there, in Kuala Lumpur, I spoke extensively with the members of the
Iraqi delegation and with the then vice-president Taha Yassin
Ramadan. I said to them, "if you really do have chemical weapons,
destroy them so as to facilitate the work of the UN inspectors".
That was their only chance of avoiding an attack. And I think that
they did it, if they had weapons in the first place, that is. It had
already been decided that there would be an attack, whether they had
the weapons or not.
What is your opinion of Saddam Hussein?
In 1991, after the Kuwait invasion, he got caught up
in a chain of thought that led to a serious crisis. We voted in
favour of the UN resolution condemning that invasion. I sent two
letters to him with personal emissaries, recommending that he enter
into negotiations and withdraw from Kuwait before it was too late.
In the first missive, dated August 2, 1990, I wrote:
"It is with great pain that I write to you, having
heard today that troops from your country have entered the State of
Kuwai".
"Regardless of the motives that led to such a
dramatic decision, I feel I must express our concern over the
serious consequences that this could have firstly for Iraq and
Kuwait, but also for all the countries of the Third World. Cuba,
despite the bond of friendship that unite it with Iraq, must oppose
a military solution to the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait.
"The immediate reaction of the international
community, which learned of the events from the transnational news
agencies, creates a very dangerous and vulnerable situation for
Iraq.
"I feel it is very likely that the United States and
other allies will take the opportunity to intervene militarily in
the conflict and deal a strong blow to Iraq. Washington, furthermore,
will seek to consolidate its self-appointed role as international
and Gulf gendarme.
"In this situation, the time factor is decisive, and
I appeal to you to show a willingness to withdraw the troops from
Kuwait and immediately work toward a political and negotiated
solution to the conflict, using the good offices of the Arab League
or the Non-Aligned Movement, to which we turn for help with this.
These actions will help to strengthen the international position of
the Third World countries in the face of the United States’ role as
gendarme, and will also reinforce Iraq's position with regard to
international opinion.
"What is essential at this time is to avoid an
imperialist intervention carried out under the pretext of defending
the peace and sovereignty of a small country in the region. Such a
precedent would be disastrous both for Iraq and for the rest of the
Third World.
"A clear Iraqi position, followed by decisive and
immediate steps towards a political solution,would help prevent and
frustrate the United Startes aggressive and interventionist plans.
"Cuba is willing to cooperate with any action that
will help to achieve this solution.
"I am certain that my opinions here reflect the
thoughts of dozens of countries around the world at this time that
have always regarded your country with respect and esteem".
There ends our appeal for a just and reasonable
solution.
Shortly afterwards, on September 4, 1990, in
response to a message sent from Iraq, I ratified the principled
position that I had expressed previously and called for a political
solution to that difficult situation that could grow increasingly
complex and murky, and bring more serious consequences for the world.
We insisted once again. One of the paragraphs of the
second letter read as follows:
"I have decided to write to you this message, which
I ask you to read and mull over on account of its content, but also
because I feel obliged to share with you my thoughts on a decidedly
bitter reality; I hope that they may be of use to you at this time
when you should make some dramatic decisions".
Further on I indicated that:
"It is my opinion that the war shall inexorably
breakout if Iraq is not willing to find a negotiated political
solution on the basis of withdrawing from Kuwait. This war could be
highly damaging to the region, and in particular to Iraq, regardless
the courage with which the people of Iraq are prepared to fight.
"The United States has managed to create a great
military alliance that includes not only NATO but also Arab and
Muslim forces; and in the political arena it has shaped a highly
negative image of Iraq in the eyes of most of the international
community due to the aforementioned events, which have caused a
profound reaction and feelings of hostility in the United Nations
and in many countries around the world.That is to say, ideal
conditions have been created for the hegemonic and aggressive plans
of the United States, while military and political conditions couldn’t
be worse for Iraq to go to war. In these circumstances, the war
would divide the Arabs for many years to come; the United States and
the West would maintain a military presence in the region
indefinitely and the consequences would be disastrous not only for
the Arab nation, but also for the Third World at large.
"Iraq is laying itself open to an unequal fight,
lacking a sound political justification and the support of the
international community, with the exception, of course, of the
sympathies shown by many Arab countries".
These were essentially our thoughts on the matter
and we continued to ask Saddam to change his position:
"It should not happen that everything that the Iraqi
people have built over the years, as well as their great
possibilities for the future, be destroyed by the sophisticated
weapons of imperialism. If there were justified and irrefutable
reasons for this, I would be the last person to ask you to avoid
making this sacrifice.
"To consent to the demand of the overwhelming
majority of United Nations member countries that you withdraw from
Kuwait should never be perceived as a disgrace or humiliation for
Iraq.
"Regardless of the historical reasons that Iraq
feels that it has on its side with regard to Kuwait, the truth is
that the international community is practically unanimous in its
opposition to the methods used. And under this broad international
consensus shelters the imperialist plan to destroy Iraq and take
control of the entire region's energy resources".
None of these efforts, however, was successful.
