European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                K a w/7�diplomaticbreakdownspecter of War draws nearer by William Drozdiak Washington Post. A Esh Bariq Aziz slowly scrutinized president Bush or is totter that spoiled out in Blunt vivid detail Why j9 Saddam Hussein s forces should leave Kuwait or a a a face the destruction of his regime by the collective military Power of 20 nations.  iraqi foreign minister lowered his glasses then handed the letter Back to Secretary of state James a. A a a. Baker Iii. Quot i am sorry i cannot receive this letter a he said ,. As he recounted later. Quot the language in this letter is not compatible with language Between Heads of . Azizo a Rebuff at the outset of a dramatic diplomatic. Showdown in a Stark ballroom at the hotel intercontinental in Geneva wednesday symbolized the inability of the United states and Iraq to find common language to Bridge differences at their first High level encounter since the Gulf crisis erupted five months ago. A a �?��.�?�.,� for most of those five months the United states sought. To Force Saddam to Retreat through pressure tactics including the largest american military buildup since the Vietnam War and a global economic embargo against Baghdad. The Bush administration eschewed any talks with its adversary in Baghdad until after the United nations. Had authorized the use of Force. A yet when the appointed hour of dialogue finally arrived a the two sides could find no common ground for discussion. Even Baker seemed genuinely stunned As he tend to explain Why Aziz spurned the presidential letter though he refused to disclose its contents. A a Quot you will have to ask the minister Why he did not accept the letter Quot Baker said grimly. Quot my own opinion for what. Its Worth a and it s Only an opinion a was that he came hero Only authorized to accept a letter that walked away. From the United nations resolutions which is something. That we cannot and of course will not a  As Stock and Oil prices gyrated and a worldwide audience yearned for a breakthrough that would defuse a conflict Between  with More than a million troops poised for War Baker and Aziz spent three fruitless rounds of discussion talking past each other mainly repeating old positions. A. A. A a. Seeking to explain Iraq s rationale for invading and occupying Kuwait Aziz said iraqis action was defensive in a nature because it. Felt threatened by Quot economic War Quot from a kuwaiti policies that were driving Down Oil prices and bankrupting Iraq. Baker said he bluntly responded Quot find it very hard to believe that any nation in the world will believe  a a m a a a a. When Baker demanded Iraq s immediate withdrawal Aziz replied that his country was willing to discuss it Only. As part of a larger regional settlement including the israeli palestinian conflict. When Baker accused Iraq of using the palestinian Issue Quot to shield its aggression against Kuwait, insisted that the United states could no longer get away with using double standards in dealing with the foreign occupation of territories in the Middle East. A. A when Baker declared that rewarding aggression Quot would Send a terrible signal Quot to the new world order Aziz Saidl raq Quot wished to be partners Quot in the Post cold War world but any rules m the new global Sti act urea have to be. Implemented justly not imposed on a certain  in the end the two men simply walked away with. Israel weighs it option Secretary of state James  Iii in Geneva. Their arguments exhausted. A a a a. A Quot after Over sex hours of discussion we both had pretty Well made the Points that we had come to make and that was it. I done to believe that there was anything left unsaid. He said everything i think he came to say and i had said everything that i had come to say Quot Baker said m the Secretary looking somber and disappointed said a there was Quot no pounding of the table and shouting at each other. It was a very reasoned and i think responsible discussion by two men who really would like to find a peaceful and political solution to this . Aziz sounding Wistful and hinting . Opportunities agreed that the dialogue had been very civil and lamented the fact that the United states and Iraq had waited so Long before airing their grievances face to face Quot we both listened to each other very carefully but we had grave differences Over the issues Quot Aziz said. Quot i told him if we. Had met several months ago we might have been Able to reach an understanding. A  twice placed Telephone Calls to Bush during Breaks in the talks telling him that no sign of flexibility was evident on the iraqi Side. After learning about the Meaghi results of the second round Bush relayed the spreading sense of disappointment. In his own Telephone Call to French president Frangois Mitterrand who then went ahead with a press conference in Paris describing the pessimistic climate in Geneva and announcing that France was Quot ready to do its duty Quot in going to War. Despite the absence of rancor neither Side took pains to mask an ominous feeling at the end of the talks that the Specter of War seemed More real than Ever. Quot i never thought you americans could be so arrogant Quot said an iraqi participant in the talks his voice quaking As he spoke later in an elevator. Quot such a free open country you have and you refuse to see our viewpoint even if the consequence could mean . A while Baker refused to say that wednesday s. Disappointment made War imminent and stressed that Quot the path of peace remains open Quot he said that during his discussions with Aziz the United states Quot had asked for and received assurances for our remaining five diplomatic personnel to leave on the 12th of january a three Days before the United nations deadline authorizing the use of Foice to evict iraqi troops from Kuwait. Quot this Jan 15 deadline in our minds is real Quot Baker said Quot Iraq can choose to believe that or not but it is real in our minds and in the minds of our coalition partners we Hope that they will believe that we think its  amid mounting tensions citizens prepare for War combined press services As foreigners Stampede to leave the country. Israelis Are bracing for a Climax to the Gulf crisis a that could plunge the country into both a Long Range War with Iraq and a close quarters Battle with arabs in the occupied  months of mounting tensions spurred by surging palestinian unrest and repeated iraqi threats of attack the government and Many israeli citizens Are making emergency preparations unknown since the eve of the 1967 Middle East War a a military leaves have been cancelled. Bomb shelters Are being cleaned and packed with fresh supplies. In their houses Many families Are preparing Quot War rooms Quot Complete with chemical warfare gear distributed by the army. A mood approaching panic is spreading through the foreign Community. In the last few Days several countries. Including Finland Germany and Sweden have advised their nationals to leave Israel. The United nations has decided to evacuate dependents of its personal in the country. A. The result has been a chaotic daily press for scarce seats on planes departing Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv at least six of the 23 foreign airlines that Fly into Israel have suspended service while others have Cut Back on the number of flights. Quot it makes you feel really terrible Quot said an israeli woman who had just arrived Back in Israel with her Young daughter. Quot it s like 1967 in that you feel we Are being left alone  this . A. A a a  As the United states neared a decision on whether to go to War with Iraq israelis rightist government lobbied. Washington  a move to destroy the military machine of Saddam Hussein arguing that if it is not done now it will have to be done later at greater Cost. At the same time prime minister Yitzhak Shamir and other senior officials began openly expressing concerns that Israel will come under pressure from the  Alliance once the. Gulf crisis ends. Israel May be asked to make concessions to palestinians in the occupied territories officials said a whether or not Iraq is  minister David Levy spelled out israelis hawkish views on Iraq in Blunt language Quot Israel is not Cannon fodder Quot and Quot cannot allow itself to be attacked without responding just to preserve some coalition which is following the United , a. Israeli military experts Are virtually unanimous that in the event of War Iraq would launch at least 20 missiles against Israel armed with conventional or chemical warheads and that some of those missiles would be certain to penetrate israeli defences. A. A a. A israeli military experts and Govert nent officials say they  would survive an iraqi missile assault without catastrophic damage or loss of life. A. But the experts Are divided on what israelis response to an iraqi attack should be. In the military establishment some advocate a limited response using israeli land to land Jericho missiles and the powerful israeli air Force. Some also see an Opportunity fora massive retaliatory strike to wipe out the iraqi army s War potential including its nuclear and chemical weapons centers. A a. ,. The debate in the israeli military and governing establishment centers on three new strategic react it a to if to Middle East in the 1990s. A. A a a they include apparently the end of Jordan s tra tonal role As a   Iraq the peaceful. Set Len sent of the Iran Iraq War which has freed iraqi tr0�p. To look Westward toward Israel and the new constraints a. Israel s retaliatory ability because of the presence m forces in the Middle East and the Page 14 the stars and stripes saturday january