Hussein ‘Uses’ Foreigners--White House

As Iraq promised to free 100 German hostages today, the White House said that former foreign government officials who have traveled to Baghdad as emissaries “are being used” by Saddam Hussein for propaganda purposes.

Presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater also sought to discourage any U.S. members of Congress from traveling to Iraq. He said they, too, would find themselves used by Hussein and might even be taken hostage themselves.

“The officials and others who are going there walk a very fine line between trying to help their countrymen and being used by Saddam Hussein for inhuman treatment of the hostage families and the hostages themselves,” Fitzwater said.

Specifically, Fitzwater mentioned the current mission of former West German Chancellor Willy Brandt--who met with the Iraqi leader today and secured the pledge on the German hostages--as well as earlier trips by former British Prime Minister Edward Heath and former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.

“Clearly, these people are being used. And we want to point that out in the strongest terms,” Fitzwater said.

He was asked about reports that some U.S. congressmen have been told by officials in Hussein’s government that they would be given visas if they want to visit Iraq.

“We discourage all of them from going but we won’t say no,” Fitzwater said.

“We discourage everyone’s travel to Iraq because we think it’s dangerous to go. We think there’s a chance they can become hostages themselves. They can be subject to physical harm. Or they can be used for political values.”