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Captain Ochre
April 7th 2003, 02:20 AM
It is claimed that the Bush administration gave Hussein a wink and a nudge regarding his military designs on Kuwait.
The claim was based on a transcript release by the Iraq government. Supposedly a full transcript exists, but I haven't been able to locate it yet. Here's the partial(?) transcript:
http://www.chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/glaspie.html

Here's the spin (even shorter!) version (common on the Internet), with what I guess is supposed to be an incriminating transcript of a confrontation between the press and Glaspie.
http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=51

Glaspie claimed that the released transcript altered the context of the discussion in significant ways, for instance, the "border dispute"--according to Glaspie--referred to the literal placement of markers between the two states (Iraq and Kuwait).


In November 1992, Iraq's former deputy prime minister, Tarik Aziz, gave Glaspie some vindication. He said she had not given Iraq a green light. "She just listened and made general comments," he told USA Today. "We knew the United States would have a strong reaction."
http://csmweb2.emcweb.com/durable/1999/05/27/p23s3.htm

Aziz was in a position to know: Note from the longer version of the transcript that he was present.

Book review:

The possible exception in this collection is a full transcript of the meeting between April Glaspie, America's ambassador to Iraq, and Saddam Hussain. It is clear to this reader, at least, that Ambassador Glaspie left that meeting convinced no invasion was imminent. Also of some historical note are the essays at the beginning of the book (Walid Khalidi's and Phillip Knightly's in particular) that review the bitter and complex legacies World War I imposed on the region.
http://www.wrmea.com/Washington-Report_org/www/backissues/1191/9111064b.html

RealOne version of Glaspie's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee (Glaspie gets to defend herself):
http://www.c-span.org/iraq/history.asp

The best part is in the 59th minute, imo. :smile:

Alden
April 7th 2003, 02:27 AM
Very interesting. Thanks for posting that.

Epoetker
April 7th 2003, 07:03 PM
Thought so. Even without this wonderful vindication, it's still a great answer to the claim that "US SAID IRAQ COULD INVADE KUWAIT!"

Probably worthy of snopes.com-you should start sending these in to them.