Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, who met privately with actor-director Sean Penn, says the Hollywood star spoke out strongly against U.S. “aggression” against Iraq.
“Aggression goes completely against the interests of the American people and threatens peace and security, not only in this region, but throughout the world,” official dailies quoted Penn as telling Aziz in the meeting.
The Iraqi deputy prime minister congratulated Penn on his “opposition to all wars and all forms of aggression” and urged other peace activists to follow his lead “so that peace and security can reign throughout the world.”
The film star had previously declined to comment to reporters, insisting he wanted to avoid the limelight and concentrate on understanding the standoff between his country and the Iraqi regime.
“Simply put, if there is a war or continued sanctions against Iraq, the blood of Americans and Iraqis alike will be on our [American] hands,” Penn said at a news conference in the Iraqi capital yesterday.
His three-day visit which began Friday was sponsored by the San Francisco, California-based Institute for Public Accuracy, an organization that sponsored a September visit to Baghdad by Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., in a bid to “give peace a chance.”
Penn spent the day yesterday walking the streets of Saddam City, a poor suburb of Baghdad with his camera. He said he did not understand why U.S. leaders “have not shared with the American people the evidence that they claim to have on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.”
“I certainly hope that there is a very good reason for it,” he told a press conference. Penn said he had not come to criticize any governments, and would reserve his comments for after he returned home. “I’ve made it a policy while being here, in sensitivity to Americans … to not criticize our own policy while being abroad. I will make my opinion known about policy strongly when I return to the USA. I came here to learn and not to teach,” he added.
The actor wandered through the mostly Shiite Muslim area unnoticed, telling one journalist his camera attracted more attention than he did.
“The biggest star with the children in the Iraqi street is the camera, they are very interested in having their pictures taken,” he said.
Penn complained of a daily “saturation of ideology” surrounding the Iraqi crisis and added: “I needed to come here, a very simple thing, and see a smile, a street, smell the smells, talk to the people and take that home with me.
“I come here optimistically in the hope that this situation could be resolved peacefully.”
Penn expressed satisfaction with his meeting with Aziz, describing him as courteous.
The actor was scheduled to leave Iraq late last evening.
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