Baghdad
France and Russia convinced Saddam Hussein that he could survive a U.S. invasion, former Iraqi deputy prime minister Tariq Aziz has told U.S. interrogators. French and Russian diplomats first assured Saddam that they would block the war using their vetoes on the U.N. Security Council, Aziz claimed. Later, they told him that he could ride out the first wave of an air war while they worked to broker a cease-fire. France and Russia did their best for Saddam, Aziz said, but failed to anticipate the intensity of the U.S. strike. U.S. officials who have been debriefing Aziz told The Washington Post that no other sources had corroborated Aziz’s account of the French and Russian roles. It’s possible, they said, that Aziz may simply be dishing dirt because he thinks that’s what the Americans want to hear.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
