The Gulf: Mission Improbable

Mission Improbable

United Nations Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar arrived in Tehran on the first leg of a difficult mission: to negotiate a cease-fire in the seven- year war between Iran and Iraq. The two sides had been expected to stop fighting at least until the Secretary-General's visit ends this week. But after only a three-day lull, Iraqi warplanes attacked Iranian cities and industrial sites in what Iraqi President Saddam Hussein called a "day of revenge" for Iranian missile attacks on Kuwaiti targets the week before. Iran, meanwhile, said it could not "take the risk" of observing an unconditional cease-fire, as called for...

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