The American Spectator

To Be Absolutely Frank

Tariq Aziz's Roman Holiday

By Francis X. Rocca on 2.18.03 @ 2:07AM

(Page 2 of 2)

"Certainly to you and to me and to everyone in the West it seems quite shocking," says Father Benjamin of Aziz's refusal to answer Gantz, "but seen from the point of view of people in these countries -- it's against the law there even to pronounce the name of Israel. … Maybe if there were a different policy toward the Palestinians and toward Iraq, then there would be less aggressivity on their part."

Still, the priest (a lot more affable on the phone than he was on the dais) admits that it would have been better if the Iraqi official, visiting Italy on a mission of peace, had taken the chance to make a gesture toward "openness and dialogue" at the press conference.

"At one moment I wanted to intervene," Father Benjamin says, "but I thought that as a priest I couldn't insert myself in a political matter between two countries." God forbid.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Religion, Law, Iraq, Israel, United Nations