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Tariq Aziz
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== Early positions: 1968–1979 == Aziz began to rise through the ranks of Iraqi politics after the Ba'ath party came to power in 1968. Aziz became close to Saddam who heavily promoted him. He became a member of the General Affairs Bureau of the Revolutionary Command Council. Aziz served as a member of the Regional Command, the Ba'ath Party's highest governing organization from 1974 to 1977, and in 1977 became a member of Saddam's Revolutionary Command Council. He also served as the Minister of Information from 1974 to 177. He was also elected as a Baʿath Party regional leader. Aziz remarked that the U.S. began paying more attention to Iraq, especially amidst concerns over Soviet influence in the region. Despite Iraq’s alignment with the Soviet Union in some areas, Iraq’s leadership remained independent in its foreign policy, and the country did not seek to be part of the Soviet bloc. Aziz explained that while Iraq did not completely boycott the U.S., it primarily focused on relations with France and Europe, viewing them as more impartial regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Interviews - Tariq Aziz {{!}} The Survival Of Saddam {{!}} FRONTLINE {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/saddam/interviews/aziz.html |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=www.pbs.org}}</ref> In the 1970s, the U.S. government, particularly under [[Henry Kissinger]] during the [[Nixon administration]], expressed concerns about Iraq’s alliance with the Soviet Union, including unfounded claims about a Soviet military base in Iraq. These claims were refuted after Aziz facilitated a meeting between U.S. journalists and Vice President Saddam Hussein, who challenged the allegations. Despite these tensions, the diplomatic relationship remained limited, and the U.S. continued to view Iraq through the lens of its broader Cold War strategy rather than as a major Middle Eastern partner.<ref name=":5" /> By the time Saddam Hussein became Vice President in the early 1970s, Iraq had taken bold steps to nationalize its oil industry, a move that was met with resistance from Western countries, including the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands.<ref name=":5" /> However, France, under President Georges Pompidou, was more supportive, signaling a key shift in Iraq’s foreign policy.<ref name=":5" /> Iraq’s relations with France, and Europe more broadly, grew stronger during this period, as these nations took a more neutral stance on Iraq’s oil nationalization and the broader Middle Eastern political situation.<ref name=":5" /> [[File:Freundschaftsvertrag Kossygin al-Bakr 1972.jpg|left|thumb|President Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr and Alexej Kossygin sign the treaty about friendship and cooperation between Iraq and USSR.]] Aziz also reflected on the 1970s as a time when Iraq’s main focus was on its economic development, with both Saddam Hussein and other key leaders like Aziz prioritizing the modernization of Iraq's industry, infrastructure, and education systems.<ref name=":5" /> Despite the challenges posed by the Iran-Iraq War, this vision of a highly developed, self-sufficient Iraq remained central to the Ba'ath Party’s goals.<ref name=":5" /> In the late 1970s, during the [[Presidency of Jimmy Carter|Carter administration]], there were persistent U.S. concerns regarding Iraq's potential alignment with the Soviet Union. Aziz recalled how the United States floated claims about Iraq being a pro-Soviet regime, specifically suggesting that Iraq hosted a Soviet airbase or naval base. To address these allegations, Aziz invited two prominent journalists from Time magazine to meet with then Vice President Saddam Hussein. Aziz mentioned to the journalists that they had information about a possible Soviet base in Iraq. In response, Saddam told the journalists to look for themselves to verify whether the claims were true. After their visit, the journalists found no evidence of any such Soviet installations, reaffirming that these claims were baseless. During this period, diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iraq were strained. In the aftermath of the 1967 Israeli-Arab war, many countries in the region, including Iraq and Egypt, severed their diplomatic ties with the United States. Iraq’s diplomatic presence in Washington was minimal; rather than an official embassy, Iraq had an interest section—a practice that left Iraq's representation in the U.S. largely dormant. Aziz, at the time serving as the Minister of Information, emphasized that Iraq did not feel any significant American influence or concern during this period. Under the leadership of Henry Kissinger as U.S. Secretary of State, there was growing discontent throughout the Middle East with U.S. foreign policy, especially due to U.S. support for Israeli aggression. Aziz noted that, during this period, the entire region, including Iraq, was increasingly leaning toward anti-American sentiment. As a result, Iraq's foreign relations were focused more on Europe and the Soviet Union, with these countries becoming increasingly important partners for Iraq during this time.<ref name=":0" />
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