WHY BOTH SIDES WANT TO GET OUT OF THE WAR

LAST MONTH saw an intensification of the land fighting between Iran and Iraq following the sudden collapse of the Islamic Conference mediation mission. Both sides resorted to threatening imprecations. Ayatollah Khomeini's New Year message called upon all army commanders at the front to launch an offensive against the invaders. Iraq's President Saddam Hussein threatened (perhaps somewhat optimistically) to resume the war of movement.