Episode 2: Saddam Proposed a ‘Secret Summit’ with Assad in 1996 to Confront ‘Israel’s Aggression’ against Lebanon

Asharq Al-Awsat Publishes Secret Letters between the Syrian, Iraqi Presidents in the mid-1990s

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. (Getty Images)
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. (Getty Images)
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Episode 2: Saddam Proposed a ‘Secret Summit’ with Assad in 1996 to Confront ‘Israel’s Aggression’ against Lebanon

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. (Getty Images)
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. (Getty Images)

The first episode of the secret messages between Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his Syrian counterpart, Hafez al-Assad, focused on the beginning of talks after years of mistrust, disappointment and conspiracies between Damascus and Baghdad.

Today’s episode talks about the resumption of relations, the reactivation of the oil pipeline between the two countries, and making Syria a gateway to implementing the “oil-for-food” agreement with the United Nations in the mid-1990s.

Asharq Al-Awsat is revealing letters between Saddam and Assad, which are part of the many documents that late Syrian Vice President Abdel-Halim Khaddam carried from his office to Paris when he left Syria in 2005. Phone and text interviews were conducted with Iraqi Ambassador Anwar Al-Qaisi to verify the authenticity of the documents.

Al-Qaisi said that Saddam called him in the spring of 1996 during the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, and told him to inform Syria that all of Iraq’s capabilities were at Damascus’ disposal.

That year, Saddam had a growing concern about the policies of Jordan’s King Hussein, as he wrote to Assad again in March 1996, saying: “The recent statements of King Hussein prior to his visit to Washington confirm the information available to us that he was accelerating the pace to push the United States, and behind it the Zionist enemy, for the conclusion of a military agreement that leads to the formation of a new regional alliance in the region, of which Israel and Turkey will be the backbone, and which is certainly directed against Iraq and Syria.”

An Arab envoy, who transmitted the “messages”, spoke of a conviction in Baghdad that Hussein Kamel (Saddam’s son-in-law) returned to the Iraqi capital as part of King Hussein’s plan, so he was liquidated.

Khaddam recounted that on the first of March 1996, he met with Al-Qaisi, who conveyed the following message: “President Saddam sends his greetings to his brother, President Hafez, and to you. He expresses his satisfaction with the congruence of views, whether in seeking to open a new chapter in Arab life, beginning with the resumption of fraternal relations, or in identifying the nature of the American-Zionist scheme, which Jordan has become a part of.”

According to the minutes of the meeting, Saddam expressed concern that the recent statements by King Hussein prior to his visit to Washington confirmed information that he was pushing the United States to conclude a military agreement that leads to the formation of a new alliance in the region.

Thus, he underlined the need to take urgent steps, saying: “Iraq, for its part, will announce the resumption of diplomatic relations, and then Syria will welcome the initiative; moreover, the two countries will hold security talks at the level of the heads of the security apparatuses.”

Saddam also proposed the opening of the borders within controls agreed upon by the two parties, adding that his country, in its discussions with the United Nations, would adopt Syria as an outlet for the export of its oil, if an agreement was reached over the “oil for food and medicine” program.

In response to the Iraqi proposal, Khaddam replied: “The truth is that there are some circumstances that have delayed our move... We are keen to achieve Arab contacts so that the situation does not become more complicated.”

He said he was keen to inform the Iraqi ambassador about the communication with the Iraqi opposition, “due to our agreement with Iran to hold a conference for the Iraqi opposition, so that they do not interpret our move with Baghdad as a maneuver.”

Khaddam recounted: “At the end of the meeting, I told him that I would present the letter to President Hafez.”

He continued: “On March 3, 1996, I received Al-Qaisi and told him that we did not have the opportunity to make contacts for the reasons I mentioned in our earlier meeting: King Hussein’s tour to Arab countries, the Emir of Kuwait’s trip to Washington, the Iranian Vice President’s visit to Damascus, the visit of the President of Sudan…”

The Syrian vice president also told his interlocutor: “We believe that direct contacts and meetings would create opportunities to improve Arab relations and facilitate the realization of our visions, whether with regard to the general Arab situation or confronting the American-Israeli plot... We believe that this path is the least harmful, because if we surprised them with any direct step, the situation will get more complicated. We will contact you to set a date for the meeting.”

Yahya Bakour, Director General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, submitted to Khaddam a report on his visit to Baghdad between May 31 and June 4, 1996.

According to the report, Al-Qaisi visited Bakour and stressed “the importance that Baghdad attaches at this stage to restoring relations with Damascus, in response to the attack that America and Israel are plotting in cooperation with Jordan and Turkey, against both Iraq and Syria.”

Al-Qaisi said Saddam called him “during the aggression against Lebanon, and requested him to inform Damascus that all of Iraq’s capabilities were at Syria’s disposal, and that they wanted a sign in this regard.”

The Iraqi president reportedly called him again before the Eid holiday, to try to arrange a meeting with Assad. Saddam, according to the Iraqi president, was “confident that the mere holding of the meeting would lead to the resolution of all outstanding issues…”

The Iraqi ambassador to Qatar revealed that Saddam contacted him to inquire about the reasons for the US chief of staff’s visit to the region, and that he saw “a letter signed by President Bill Clinton, in which he asks him to agree to the formation of a Middle Eastern Security Council, including Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Qatar, Egypt and other countries, whose mission is to combat terrorism, arrange the affairs of the region and punish countries that support terrorism.”

According to Bakour, “on the second day, the program included meetings with the minister of agriculture. The undersecretary of the ministry informed me that Professor Tariq Aziz was waiting for me. The meeting was held at his office in the sole presence of Mr. Anwar Sabri Abdel Razzaq.”

Bakour said in this regard: “[Aziz] emphasized that there was a major conspiracy against the region, not only targeting Iraq, but also Syria and Iran. He said that America will single out the Arab countries separately…”

Aziz added, according to the report: “Iraq tried to build bridges with the Iranians and improve relations with them, and they took good steps in opening borders and developing trade relations based on the exchange of Iranian goods with oil derivatives and other Iraqi merchandise. This was in the interest of both countries. But the problem with the Iranians is that their leadership lacks a unified stance, and this is reflected in their behavior and opinions in every meeting.”

Bakour added: “Aziz believed that the establishment of cooperation between Iraq and Syria would improve the work environment in the region, give hope to the Arab populations and thwart the current conspiracy targeting Syria, Iraq and Iran together.”

The director general of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development also recounted a meeting with then-Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, who was enthusiastic about improving relations with Syria.

Bakour’s account also revealed a meeting with Saddam, in the presence of al-Sahhaf: “At 10 am on Monday, June 3, 1996, Anwar Sabri informed me that al-Sahhaf would be with me to meet Saddam. After arriving at the president’s residence, we entered directly into the main hall […].”

Saddam started by sending his regards to Assad and Khaddam, and said: “We are familiar with all the previous contacts and their details, which are positive and confirm keenness to confront difficult circumstances and conspiracy against the two countries… We look for the establishment of a relationship between Syria and Iraq on new foundations, which are based on trust […]”

He continued: “King Hussein is very mistaken for his association with the foreigners. I had advised him to be free in his relations and to act according to his country’s interests, and not harm Iraq, but he chose the opposite […]”

The Iraqi president noted that the transfer of oil through Syria was a strategic matter for his country.

“I hope you will inform our brothers that we are ready to cooperate in this field, and to send a delegation to complete the necessary formalities, as well as to study the technical matters and requirements for preparing the pipeline. We hope to receive an answer quickly,” Saddam was quoted by Bakour as saying.



Johnny Moore… What Do We Know About Chairman of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

People carrying boxes and bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation last month in Rafah, in southern Gaza. (AP)
People carrying boxes and bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation last month in Rafah, in southern Gaza. (AP)
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Johnny Moore… What Do We Know About Chairman of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

People carrying boxes and bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation last month in Rafah, in southern Gaza. (AP)
People carrying boxes and bags containing food and humanitarian aid packages distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation last month in Rafah, in southern Gaza. (AP)

As the world condemned the killings this week of dozens of hungry Palestinians near US-backed aid sites in Gaza, the group responsible for distributing that aid quietly appointed a new leader: an evangelical Christian with ties to the Trump administration.

The group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which was founded last year, announced on Tuesday that Johnnie Moore, an American public relations professional, would be its new executive chairman after the previous chief quit.

Moore’s appointment comes as the foundation, which began handing out food boxes last week, temporarily halted operations on Wednesday to work on “organization and efficiency.”

It had been racked by a resignation in its ranks, chaos at its distribution sites and violence nearby, including two shooting episodes in which dozens of Palestinians were killed, according to local health workers.

Here is what to know about Moore and his ties to the Trump administration.

A presence in the Oval Office

Moore was a spokesman for Liberty University, the Christian institution founded in Lynchburg, Virginia., in 1971 by the Rev. Jerry Falwell, for a dozen years before moving into the media industry and starting his own faith-based public relations firm.

He represented early evangelical supporters of President Trump, including Jerry Falwell Jr, who succeeded his father at Liberty University, and Paula White, who now leads the White House faith office.

Moore was co-chairman of the 2016 Trump presidential campaign’s evangelical advisory board and an influential figure during Trump’s first administration. He was part of a coalition of Christian leaders who paid regular visits to the White House, attending policy briefings, as well as prayer meetings in the Oval Office.

His public relations company, Kairos, was acquired in 2022 by JDA Worldwide, and Moore now serves as president of that larger firm.

When he announced the acquisition on social media, Moore referred to his work in public relations as his “day job” as he has had many other roles and projects linked to his faith and interest in foreign policy, including writing books on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa.

In 2017, Moore told The New York Times that he and other evangelicals had pressed Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and to move the US Embassy there. “It has been an issue of priority for a long time,” he said.

Moore describes himself as “a bridge builder and peacemaker especially known for consequential work at the intersection of faith and foreign policy, especially in the Middle East.”

The embassy move drew condemnation from Palestinian and Arab leaders, the heads of many Christian churches in Jerusalem and much of the international community, which has long viewed the status of Jerusalem as a matter to be resolved through negotiations over a future Palestinian state.

A cheerleader for Mike Huckabee

Moore, like many evangelicals, including Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, is committed to a Jewish state based on his interpretation of the Bible.

Some evangelicals view their support for Israel as an important element of their belief in biblical prophecy. Speaking to The Washington Post in 2018, Moore said he had advised White House officials that “those who bless Israel will be blessed.”

Moore cheered Huckabee’s nomination, saying on social media in November that “selecting a lifelong non-Jewish Zionist as the US ambassador to Israel sends a powerful message to friend and foe of America.”

Huckabee, 69, and Moore, 41, have walked similar paths as public figures and Christian media creators, and they have been described as friends in Israeli news media. The embassy did not respond to a request for comment on their relationship.

The new face of a troubled Gaza organization

Israel imposed a blockade on supplies entering the Gaza Strip in March, accusing Hamas of looting humanitarian aid. That embargo was lifted to a limited degree last month, after the international community raised alarms about widespread hunger in the enclave.

Israelis conceived of the new system to establish aid distribution sites run by American security contractors in the enclave. It was meant, officials said, to circumvent Hamas, which Israel accused of stealing assistance meant for civilians.

But the rollout of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s operation has been chaotic. Its previous head resigned hours before the initiative was set to begin late last month, citing a lack of autonomy.

On Tuesday, Boston Consulting Group, a US advisory firm, said that it had stepped back from its involvement with the organization, that it had placed a partner who had worked on the project on leave and that it would conduct an internal review of its work.

Humanitarian organizations have criticized the foundation’s approach to aid distribution for a lack of independence from Israel, whose soldiers are positioned near the sites and have fired what the Israeli military has called “warning” shots on multiple occasions.

And the United Nations has refused to have anything to do with the effort because it says Israel is militarizing and politicizing humanitarian assistance and putting Palestinians in danger.

As reports of disarray at aid distribution sites emerged during the project’s first week, Moore said the effort was “working” and should be “celebrated.”

When the Gazan health authorities reported shooting deaths near one of the foundation’s sites, Moore reposted a statement from Huckabee accusing the news media and Hamas of spreading misinformation.

Moore lists 18 years of service with World Help, a Christian humanitarian organization, among his volunteer experiences, along with his new appointment at the Gaza foundation and his roles on various advisory boards, including that of the nonpartisan advocacy group Muslim Coalition for America and Haifa University in Israel.

In a statement about his appointment, Moore said he would help “ensure the humanitarian aid community and the broader international community understand what’s taking place on the ground.” The foundation declined a request for an interview.

*Ephrat Livni is a reporter for The New York Times’ DealBook newsletter, based in Washington.