Iraqi President’s Letter: ‘I Feel Most Profoundly the Sorrow’

President Saddam Hussein of Iraq told President Reagan on Friday that Iraqis “wish we could do anything that might alleviate the grief” of the families of the 37 sailors killed aboard the Stark. In a letter to Reagan, Hussein wrote:

On the occasion of the funeral ceremony of the victims lost in the grievous and unintentional incident that has happened to the American frigate Stark, I would like to express to you once again my condolences and feelings of grief.

May I also ask you to convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims as they bid their dear ones last farewell. All the Iraqis and I feel most profoundly the sorrow of moments such as these, since we have ourselves lost a great many of our dear ones in this war which has been raging for seven years; while the Iranian government still persists in perpetrating death and destruction and in rejecting our appeals and those of the international community for a just and honorable peace; an objective no doubt that is long desired by all those who believe in God, and in justice and brotherhood amongst peoples.

Confusion and Complexity

We do not misrepresent the truth and its very essence when we stress, with firm conviction, that sorrow and regret are not enough to reflect the tragedy of the victims that have fallen as a result of this war and the confusion and complexity surrounding it.

Amongst the victims are these sons of yours whom you are bidding farewell today. Here we are witnessing the circumstances of the war become even more complicated, the number of victims grows higher and higher, and the grave and painful consequences get more exacerbated because of the intransigence and anomalous stand of Iran.

This makes it incumbent upon us to carry on tirelessly with our efforts to stop this bloody human tragedy which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands, burnt with its flames the people of Iraq and Iran, caused anxiety to many others in the region and the world at large, and caused through its confusion and complexity the loss of people from other countries who were in the area for various reasons.

Rest assured that the grief which you feel as a result of the loss of your sons is our grief too.

Our humane principles and the sentiments of friendship that we have toward peoples everywhere, including the people of the United States whose friendship we wish to preserve, make us sad to see anybody hurt by this war or by the immediate or long-term consequences it entails.

I as well as all Iraqis share with you your grief in moments such as these and wish we could do anything that might alleviate the grief of the victims’ families. Please accept our most deeply felt condolences.