Pelletreau told Qusay that Saddam Hussein must stop threatening neighboring Arab states, but agreed that the U.S. wants to contain and isolate Iran. Iraq must allow the U.S. to establish at least two military bases on its territory. Iraq must begin military cooperation with the U.S., permitting 300 U.S. officers and experts to come to Baghdad as advisers. Pelletreau stipulated that any agreement must be kept secret and be implemented only after the U.S. elections. Some sources have indicated that the U.S. has already withdrawn the CIA agents plotting Saddam Hussein's overthrow.
Several reports discuss the return of U.S. companies to Iraq to conduct secret negotiations.
The presence of U.S. bases in Iraq could not only blockade Iran but also Syria. As we go to press, the serious tensions between Syria and Israel continue. This article was originally published in the December 1996 Personal Update NewsJournal. The Jerusalem Institute for Western Defense.