OXNARD : Kissinger Says Iraq’s Turmoil May Spread

Former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger told a Ventura County audience Tuesday night that the turmoil in Iraq in recent weeks could be repeated in the Soviet Union and throughout Eastern Europe.

Just as the Kurds have sought independence from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, others--such as various factions in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia--might rebel, Kissinger told a sold-out crowd during “An Evening With Henry Kissinger” at the Oxnard Civic Auditorium.

“This is a huge problem that must be dealt with,” he said. “We have had tremendous success in the Persian Gulf, but we must not forget that the communist states of Eastern Europe have collapsed. And the Soviet Union is in one of the most colossal messes I can recall.”

The United States should cope with these developments by encouraging democratization and moves toward free-market economies, Kissinger suggested.

As for the plight of Kurdish refugees in Iraq, the former top aide to Presidents Nixon and Ford said: “I hate to see us become enmeshed in northern Iraq, but I see no alternative but to help the refugees as we are doing.”

To a member of the audience of 1,200 who asked what can be expected to happen to Hussein, Kissinger replied: “I expect that his survival depends on the efficiency of his security forces. . . . No Iraqi president has ever died in bed.”

Kissinger cautioned his listeners not to expect too much from current efforts to end the tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors. “The most that can be expected from the current efforts is a step or two in the right direction. After that, we can hope for further progress.”

William E. McAleer, chairman of Ventura County National Bank, which sponsored Kissinger’s appearance, presented a check for $53,000 from the evening’s proceeds to the Ventura County chapter of the American Red Cross.