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To: piasa; kabar

I hadn't heard that, but if confirmed it would certainly explain why he sounds so defensive of Glaspie. Do we know if Wilson speaks Arabic? (I'm assuming the Iraqis were speaking in Arabic.)


174 posted on 11/03/2005 1:30:50 PM PST by Fedora
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To: piasa; kabar
Lorenzo Cremonesi, "Lost in Translation", Ha'aretz, Autumn 2005

Sa'adoon Al-Zubaydi was Saddam Hussein's presidential translator. In a special interview, he provides previously unknown details on the overthrown dictator.

SNIP

On July 25th I was called to join the last meeting between Glaspie and Saddam. I was a close friend of her No. 2 at the embassy, Joseph Wilson, who in turn met with Saddam on August 7th, before leaving Iraq permanently. I remember this because it was my birthday. Joseph was an excellent Arabist, and spoke our language correctly. He, like Glaspie, was well aware of the situation.

"In any event, Glaspie arrived breathless at the meeting. She was offended because security wanted to take her handbag. `What happened to diplomatic immunity?' she snapped at me. Then she got upset because she was told that she could not expose the soles of her shoes to the president or cross her legs in his presence.

"But she had good news for us. It was a message for Saddam from President Bush [senior]. `It is not U.S. policy to interfere in inter-Arab affairs,' she said to us in English.

"I must admit, however, that one thing has puzzled me ever since: If we had been given a green light for the attack, how is it that Glaspie, who was not married and lived in Baghdad with her sick, elderly mother, did not change her plans to go on vacation on July 26th? I am convinced that that day she understood our plans to send armored divisions toward Kuwait City. So how come 24 hours later she went on vacation?"

SNIP

176 posted on 11/03/2005 1:44:35 PM PST by Fedora
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To: Fedora
I hadn't heard that, but if confirmed it would certainly explain why he sounds so defensive of Glaspie. Do we know if Wilson speaks Arabic? (I'm assuming the Iraqis were speaking in Arabic.)

Wilson was niether an Arabist nor did he speak Arabic.

177 posted on 11/03/2005 2:30:43 PM PST by kabar
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To: Fedora

It's likely they were speaking French, the language of diplomacy at one time. He's proficient at that... ;-)


184 posted on 11/03/2005 7:46:01 PM PST by piasa (Attitude Adjustments Offered Here Free of Charge)
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