Summary in seconds: the role of misunderstanding non-verbal communication in starting wars: how the Foreign Minister of Iraq misinterpreted James Baker’s1 non-verbal cues on the eve of the First Gulf War, and what we will cover in our next article.
Shortly after moving to the United States, I attended a class about human behavior. The instructor was describing how each culture has its own unique nonverbal communication, which may not be understood, by those who belong to other cultures. To further explain this point, the instructor gave us the following example:
Days before the First Gulf War in 1991, James Baker1, the United States Secretary of State at that time, met with Tariq Aziz2, the Vice President of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The purpose of the meeting was completely different in the minds of the decision makers in Iraq and in the United States and among those who represented both sides at that meeting.
On January 9, 1991, the two sides met in Geneva, Switzerland. James Baker put only one request on the negotiating table “withdraw unconditionally from Kuwait, or the US Army will crush you”. To convince the Iraqi delegate with the second part of this concise ultimatum, James Baker proceeded to describe all the deadly weapons that the United States military had mobilized on the Kuwaiti borders during the previous weeks.
As Tarik Aziz Looked across the negotiating table at James Baker, he saw a polite, soft-spoken, genteel, southerner3 with a sweet, faint smile that never left his face. What Tarik Aziz did not recognize was the flip side of James Baker: the professional surgeon side, who meticulously detailed how the American military would tear the Iraqi army to smithereens if they rejected his ultimatum. Mr. Baker paid no attention to Tarik Aziz’s attempts to engage him in side discussion about: the region’s history or the geography of the oil wells over which both sides claimed sovereignty.
At the end of a long day of negotiations, Tariq Aziz stood in front of a TV camera, appearing optimistic. He assured reporters that Iraq managed to avoid a confrontation with the US and carried this optimism back to Baghdad. During his briefing to Saddam Hussein, Tariq Aziz described James Baker as a calm and reasonable person who did not raise his voice or bang the negotiating table with his fist. Aziz’s conclusion was that “Americans are bluffing and posturing.” He added that Americans had amassed their forces in Saudi Arabia to show countries of the region and the rest of the world that they would defend the Gulf states, their oil fields, and the strategic maritime trade routes.
Within a week of their meeting, on January 16, 1991, the coalition air force jets began their intense air campaign, leading to the collapse of the Iraqi forces and their withdrawal from Kuwait. Every time I recall this story, I think of the thousands of Iraqis who were on the verge of losing their lives due to a lack of cross-cultural bridges of understanding.
References
1. James Baker: born April 28, 1930, was the 61st United States Secretary of State (January 25, 1989-August 23, 1992) during President George H. W. Bush.
2. Tariq Aziz: (April 28, 1936-June 5, 2015), was Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq (July 16, 1979-April 9,2003).
3. Southerner: James Baker was born in Houston, Texas. Southerners pride themselves with certain characteristics like: charm, politeness, kindness, helpfulness, etc.