"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