"THE GREAT SATAN NO LONGER A SATAN"

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 04620

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL IZ
SUBJECT: "THE GREAT SATAN NO LONGER A SATAN"


1. CONFIDENTIAL ENTIRE TEXT.


2. SUMMARY: IRAQ HAS CONTINUED TO WARN AGAINST
COUNTRIES WHICH WOULD TRY TO "DEPRIVE IRAQ OF ITS
VICTORY" AND REGAIN THEIR LOST INPLUENCE IN IRAN.
REFLECTING IRAQI FEARS OF A U.S.-IRANIAN RAPPROCHE-
MENT, THE WARNINGS QUOTE FOREIGN PRESS REPORTS
THAT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN TEHRAN IS BEING REFURBISHED
AND NOTE THAT "NO ONE IN TEHRAN CURSES THE ARCH
SATAN ANY LONGER." END SUMMARY.


3. IRAQI MEDIA AUGUST 22, GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE
TO REPORTS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE MADRID
NEWSPAPER EL PAIS AND THE PARIS WEEKLY EXPRESS,
THAT THE AMERICAN EMBASSY BUILDINGS IN TEHRAN ARE
BEING REFURBISHED. EXPRESS IS QUOTED THAT THE
IRANIAN REGIME INTENDS TO VINDICATE THE "GREAT
SATAN," WHILE EL PAIS IS REPORTEDLY MORE EXPLICIT,
DECLARING THAT IRAN IS MOVING QUICKLY TO REESTAB-
LISH RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES. EL PAIS'S
TEHRAN CORRESPONDENT REPORTS THAT PREPARATIONS WERE
UNDERWAY AT THE U.S. EMBASSY TO REINSTATE NORMAL
ACTIVITIES.


4. ALSO ON AUGUST 22, THE MAIN EDITORIAL IN BOTH THE
BA'TH PARTY AND GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPERS (THAWRA AND
JUMHURIYA) WARNED THAT UNNAMED POWERS ARE "MANEUVERING
TO DEPRIVE IRAQ OF ITS VICTORY." THESE POWERS ARE
ACCUSED OF TRYING TO INFLUENCE THE UPCOMING NEGOTIA-
TIONS TO REGAIN THEIR LOST INFLUENCE IN IRAN. A
SIMILAR EDITORIAL IN THAWRA ON AUGUST 21 CLAIMED
THAT "NO ONE IN THE CAPITALS OF THESE STATES ANY
LONGER CONDEMNS IRANIAN STATE TERRORISM OR IRANIAN
EXTORTION THROUGH HOLDING HOSTAGES. AT THE SAME
TIME, NO ONE IN TEHRAN CURSES OR REMEMBERS THE ARCH
SATAN ANY LONGER" (FBIS JN2108072288).


5. COMMENT: THE IRAQIS' FEAR OF U.S.-IRAN RAPPROACHE-
MENT HAS BEEN REFLECTED MORE PROMINENTLY IN THE PAST
WEEK'S MEDIA THAN PREVIOUSLY. WE WOULD ASSUME SADDAM
GAVE A SIGNAL OF CONCERN TO HIS INFORMATION MINISTER
JASIM, WHO HAS ALWAYS BEEN READY TO ABUSE THE UNITED
STATES. WHAT IS NOT CLEAR TO US IS WHAT THE U.S.
HAS DONE, SINCE THE TALABANI AFFAIR AT LEAST, THAT
WOULD HAVE SPURRED THIS CONCERN.


GLASPIE