Iraq: All Hostages Can Go : Freedom May Come by Christmas

In a dramatic announcement that appeared to signal the removal of a major obstacle to resolving the four-month-old Persian Gulf crisis, Iraq told the world today that all foreign hostages will be freed.

Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s surprise announcement was made by the official Iraqi News Agency, which published a letter from him instructing the country’s National Assembly to approve the release.

“I invite you to take a just decision to end the travel ban imposed on foreigners and restore to all of them the freedom to travel. We apologize to those who may have been harmed, and from God we seek forgiveness,” the letter said.

Hussein had promised to free the hostages over three months starting from Christmas Day.

In his letter to the National Assembly, he said he was bringing forward their release in response to pleas from Arab leaders, a drive by U.S. Democrats to seek congressional approval for any military action in the Persian Gulf and an invitation to Iraqi Foreign Minister Tarik Aziz to address the European Parliament.

“All these appeals have encouraged us to respond to the positive transformations which will have a great influence on Western public opinion, particularly in America, to liquidate the evil attempts by the warmongers,” he said.

Hussein also said Iraq had completed its deployment in Kuwait, and therefore the hostages were no longer needed to prevent an attack. More than 400,000 Iraqi troops are deployed in the conquered emirate, facing a multinational force in the gulf that includes 330,000 American troops.

The report did not say when the foreigners would be freed, but the National Assembly routinely accepts Hussein’s recommendations, and the release was expected soon after the vote--which could come as early as Friday.

Several governments and relatives of hostages quickly welcomed Hussein’s announcement. The news also sent oil prices plunging to their lowest level since August, when Iraq invaded its oil-rich neighbor.

Secretary of State James A. Baker III confirmed that the United States had received official notification in Baghdad that the thousands of foreigners--900 Americans among them--would be set free.

President Bush and his Administration are trying to convince Congress that trade sanctions against Iraq will not force its withdrawal from Kuwait and that the lawmakers should support a possible military strike on Iraqi forces.

Hussein’s announcement appeared to be an attempt to influence those deliberations.