I
6 World and nation
Wednesday, January 9, 1990
The Battalion
Baker meets with Iraq’s Aziz
Secretary of State James A. Baker
III and Iraq’s foreign minister on
Wednesday conduct the highest-
level talks between the two nations
since the gulf crisis began, and the
United States said the meeting may
be the last chance for peace.
Baker stopped in Paris, Bonn and
Milan on Tuesday in a show of unity
wtih allied nations before the meet
ing with Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq
Aziz in Geneva.
But Baker likely was disappointed
in Paris, where he met with Presi
dent Francois Mitterrand and For
eign Minister Roland Dumas.
Dumas said France supported the
Jan. 15 U.N. deadline for Iraq to quit
Kuwait or face a possible military
strike. However, he reiterated sup
port for linking Iraq’s withdrawal
from the emirate to a Mideast peace
conference.
In Geneva, Aziz said it was prema
ture to comment on the talks. But he
added: “Iraq is open to a genuine ex
change of views about the situation
in the whole region. ... If there is a
genuine, sincere, serious intention to
make peace in the whole Middle
East, we are ready to reciprocate.”
President Bush, in a message
beamed to 127 nations, called Bak
er’s mission “possibly the final
chance” to resolve the Iraqi conflict
peacefully.
The U.S. Congress, meanwhile,
was racing to vote on the U.S. ad
ministration’s Persian Gulf policy be
fore the Jan. 15 deadline. The
House and Senate are expected to
begin deliberations Thursday that
likely would force lawmakers to
choose between backing the presi
dent’s war threat or risk deflating it.
Embassies and U.S. military facili
ties in the Middle East and Europe
continued preparations for a possi
ble war. Military officials planned se-
curity measures, diplomats
shredded documents and more air
lines canceled flights to the region.
Jordan’s King Hussein arrived in
Bonn, Germany for talks on his own
peace initiative.
Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich
Genscher of Germany told Hussein
there was no backtracking from de
mands that Iraq surrender Kuwait.
He said, however, the European
Community had promised to work
toward settlement of other Middle
East conflicts if Saddam Hussein
agrees to withdraw.
Baker conferred in Bonn with
Genscher and German Chancellor
Helmut Kohl, and said of the Ge
neva talks: “I think this is the last,
best chance for a peaceful, political
solution.”
Earlier Tuesday in Paris, Baker
said he remained hopeful the Ge
neva talks could produce a break
through. But he emphasized there
would be no negotiations with Iraq.
Aziz on Tuesday reiterated Iraq’s
refusal to budge from Kuwait with
out U.S. concessions. Saddam has
tried to link his withdrawal from Ku
wait to Israel’s withdrawal from the
Gaza Strip and West Bank. The U.S.
has refused to discuss any such link
age.
Tariq Aziz
Houston selected
Party makes Bush’s hometown
1992 GOP convention site
WASHINGTON (AP)—Hous
ton was selected Tuesday by Re
publican officials as the site for
the 1992 GOP National Conven
tion.
The party's site selection com
mittee cnose the Texas city, which
is President Bush’s hometown,
over New Orleans and San Diego.
The recommendation is slated
to be ratified by the 165-member
Republican National Committee
when it meets on Jan. 25.
“The committee conducted a
very careful review of all aspects
of the three bids and though it
was very close, it was clear that
Houston offered the most com
plete package when you looked at
the criteria from housing to con
vention facilities.” said Jeanie
Austin, co-chairman of the RNC.
The selection of Houston was
made in a conference call that in
cluded all members of the selec
tion panel.
When party spokesman B. Jay
Cooper was asked if Bush played
a role in the choice, he replied,
“This is an RNC selection.”
Houston apparently won out
on the strength of superior facili
ties, particularly the availability of
the Astrodome for the conven
tion sessions.
Some Republican officials had
been concerned about going to
the Texas city after Democrat,
Ann Richards was elected gover
nor.
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