IRAQ - President Saddam Hussein offered a formal invitation Friday night to United States President George Bush for an afternoon of appetizing herbal tea at his Baghdad residence.
In a live video telecast aired over Al Jazeera, Hussein stressed that “the pressure Mr Bush gets from the [United Nations Security] Council should be subdued, and this can only be done with an afternoon of drinking exquisite chamomile tea, right here in the comfort of my home.”
However, Remy Leveau, a former French diplomat, views the invitation with suspicion: “I believe Saddam’s message is motivated by something ulterior and despicable - this could be another sinister plan to inflict harm to the President in the veil of an innocuous request for some company to a tea party. Besides, this would be impossible since herbs are difficult to export into Iraq; even if those were available, he has been locally known to dislike naturally [...]
29
Sep
