Editing Tariq Aziz (section)

== Deputy Prime Minister: 1979–2003 ==
In 1979, Aziz became Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, and worked as a diplomat to explain Iraq's policies to the world.<ref name="AJ">{{cite news |date=26 October 2010 |title=Profile: Tariq Aziz |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/focus/2009/03/200931193545554775.html |access-date=5 June 2015 |agency=Al Jazeera}}</ref> He was the sole [[Christianity|Christian]] holding a position of power during Saddam's rule.<ref name="Mockaitis" /> 

=== Assassination attempt ===
In April 1980, Aziz was subjected to an assassination attempt at the main gate of [[Al-Mustansiriya University]] while university students were gathered on both sides of the entrance to welcome him. A graduate of Al-Sadr Camp and a member of the Dawa Party threw a hand grenade at his motorcade. His bodyguards quickly surrounded him, but he sustained a hand injury from grenade shrapnel. Many university students near the gate were also injured, with red blood clearly visible on their white shirts, as the university’s uniform for the hot days of April consisted of a white shirt and gray pants.<ref name="gsick03">{{cite journal |last=Sick |first=Gary |year=2003 |title=Iran: Confronting terrorism |journal=The Washington Quarterly |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=83–98 |doi=10.1162/016366003322387127 |s2cid=153688389}}</ref>

After the incident, Saddam Hussein arrived at Al-Mustansiriya University and delivered a speech to the students, during which he said, ''"We are dancing on the shoulders of death."<ref name=":6">{{cite news |last=Whitaker |first=Brian |date=25 April 2003 |title=Christian outsider in Saddam's inner circle |url=https://www.theguardian.com/Iraq/Story/0,2763,943280,00.html |access-date=24 December 2007 |work=The Guardian |location=London, UK}}</ref>'' At the time, the Iraqi government claimed that Iran backed the attack, and Saddam’s government immediately accused the Dawa Party of orchestrating the attempt.<ref name=":6" /> It was an Iranian-backed assassination attempt.<ref name=":6" /> The attack killed several people.<ref name=":6" /> This incident formed part of the ''[[casus belli]]'' of the [[Iran–Iraq War]].<ref name=":6" />

=== Foreign relations ===
[[File:1980 Arab League Summit Iraqi delegation.jpg|thumb|Saddam Hussein and Aziz at an Arab League summit at Amman, Jordan in 1980]]
As Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq, Aziz played a key role in shaping the country's foreign policy, particularly in relation to the United States during a period of complex geopolitical dynamics. Following the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq sought to re-establish diplomatic relations with the U.S. under the leadership of President Saddam Hussein. Aziz’s involvement in this process is noted for his strategic approach to balancing Iraq’s relationships with both the Soviet Union and the U.S.

In 1979, during the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Havana, a decision was made that the next summit in 1982 would be held in Iraq. On the way back from Havana, President Hussein expressed his concerns to Aziz, stating, "We have very good relations with the Soviet Union, but we also need to appear non-aligned and engage with the superpowers, including the United States." Although Aziz was not yet the Foreign Minister, as Deputy Prime Minister, he served as a key advisor on foreign policy matters and was entrusted with sensitive diplomatic responsibilities. The President tasked him with preparing for the resumption of diplomatic ties with the United States, while avoiding any haste, understanding that careful timing was crucial.

The outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980 complicated these plans. Initially, Aziz and the Iraqi leadership decided against pursuing any immediate contact with the U.S., fearing it would be misinterpreted as aligning with America against Iran. Instead, they focused on maintaining Iraq’s independence and military capacity. By 1982, after two years of war and as the political landscape shifted, Iraq began cautiously exploring the prospect of resuming ties with the U.S.

That year, the head of the American Interest Section in Baghdad requested an increase in the level of diplomatic contacts. Previously, communication between the U.S. and Iraq had been handled through the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but after the request, President Hussein authorized direct meetings between Aziz and U.S. diplomats. During this period, Aziz engaged in numerous discussions with American diplomats and congressional staff visiting Baghdad on fact-finding missions. This dialogue helped both sides better understand each other's positions on key issues, including the Arab-Israeli conflict and the war with Iran.<ref name=":5" />

Aziz’s diplomatic efforts laid the groundwork for the eventual restoration of U.S.-Iraq relations in 1984, which was a significant shift in Iraq's foreign policy after years of tension with the United States.<ref name=":5" />