U.S., Iraq to Talk in Geneva : Baker, Aziz Will Meet Wednesday

Iraq agreed today to hold its first high-level talks with the United States since the start of the Persian Gulf crisis. But it also accused Washington of arrogance and insisted the Palestinian issue would be on the table.

President Bush today hailed as a “useful step” the talks in Switzerland on Wednesday between Secretary of State James A. Baker III and Iraq’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Tarik Aziz.

But he stressed at a news conference on the White House lawn that “there can be no compromise or negotiation” on international demands that Iraq withdraw completely from Kuwait by Jan. 15.

Iraq, for its part, said the talks “will last only five minutes” if the United States merely repeats demands that it withdraw.

European allies also invited the Iraqis to talk. European Community foreign ministers asked Aziz to come to Luxembourg on Thursday, a day after his planned meeting with Baker.

France, meanwhile, unveiled a peace plan that would give Iraq assurances it would not be attacked if it agreed to quit Kuwait. The plan, presented at an emergency gathering of EC foreign ministers in Luxembourg, also called for an international conference addressing all Mideast issues after an Iraqi pullout.

The White House said it would study the French proposal. But the United States in the past has rejected any linkage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Persian Gulf crisis, sparked by Iraq’s Aug. 2 takeover of Kuwait.

Wednesday’s talks in Geneva will be the highest level contact between the United States and Iraq since Baghdad invaded Kuwait last August, triggering an international crisis that has led the world to the edge of war in the Middle East.

“Secretary Baker’s mission to Geneva is to convey to Iraq the gravity of the situation and the determination of the international community to overcome Iraq’s aggression against Kuwait,” Bush said.

The President repeated that there would be “no linkage” between the crisis and Iraq’s demand for a solution to the plight of Palestinians.

In another prelude to the U.S.-Iraqi talks, the White House said Bush will meet Saturday with U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. The White House also said Bush was to make a nationwide radio address at noon Saturday.

The unprecedented burst of diplomatic activity came 11 days before a U.N. deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait or face possible military action.

Bush has ordered the deployment of more than 400,000 troops to the Persian Gulf, and has stressed repeatedly that he would use force if necessary to compel Iraq to retreat from Kuwait.

But Bush also has come under pressure from European leaders and leading members of Congress to give diplomacy every chance to resolve the crisis.

And after saying that he would not permit any talks between Baker and the Iraqis after Jan. 3, he announced on Thursday that the secretary of state would travel to Geneva next week and be available for a meeting.

The Iraqis said today that Aziz would meet Baker there.

“I think you’d have to view this as a positive step, yes,” he said of Iraq’s response.