MIDEAST NEWS DIGEST
From the Dock, Barghouti Campaigns for Peace
Marwan Barghouti, a senior leader of the Palestinian Authority, was brought before the Tel Aviv District Court on Aug. 14, to stand trial on charges of inciting widespread attacks against Israel. The charges against him are considered nothing more than a political show trial, because the Justice Ministry of Israel has shaped the indictment against him on the basis of his being the head of a "terrorist organization," by which they mean Fatah, one of the largest groups in the Palestine Liberation Organization. The same indictment says that Yasser Arafat is also the mastermind of terrorist acts, because the PLO, decrees the Israeli Justice Ministry, is also a terrorist organization. But Barghouti politically turned the tables in a powerful statement. He addressed the court in three languages Hebrew, Arabic, and English to convey the singular message that only a commitment to peace can end the violence. In English, Barghouti said, "I am a peaceful man. I was trying to do everything for peace between the two peoples. I believe the best solution is two states for two peoples.... The policy of occupation will not lead to security. Security will only be achieved in one way, by peace, and peace will only be achieved by the end of the occupation." Guards cut him off after a few minutes, escorting him out of the courtroom. The indictment charges Barghouti with murder, attempted murder, and involvement in "terrorist" organizations, according to the Israeli Justice Ministry. Barghouti's pro-peace declaration is no small matter, and his attorney says the trial is an opportunity "to try the occupation for all the crimes against the Palestinian people."
Israel Warns That Sharon Will Use Iraq War for Mass Expulsion of Palestinians
Israeli commentator Meron Benvenisti, writing in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz of Aug. 15, exposed that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is orchestrating the creation of war hysteria emphazing gas masks, antidotes to radiation poisoning, and the danger of chemical and bio-warfare as a means of preparing the Israeli population for an attack on Iraq. Sharon has come to the United States, and repeatedly told Congress and the Administration that the U.S. must attack Iraq, and Iran's nuclear energy reactors. Benvenisti writes that under the cover of an attack on Iraq, Sharon will launch his "Jordan option" and conduct ethnic cleansing throughout the West Bank. "Fanning anxiety with reports of 'Home Front readiness' [which] are not about 'defensive' measures. They are about declarations by the Sharon government that 'this time Israel will certainly respond to any Iraqi attack," Benvenisti says. "The worse the hysterical fear of an NBC attack little children crying as nurses administer vaccinations on their arms the more pressure will rise to 'stick it' to Saddam Hussein, whether it is necessary or not." Benvenisti then writes that "under the cover of George Bush getting even for his father," Sharon will launch his Jordan-is-Palestine policy. "The warnings about the destructive ramifications of an attack on Iraq for the entire Middle East are not deterring Israel they are encouraging it.... An American assault on Iraq against Arab and world opposition, and an Israeli involvement, even if only symbolic, leads to the collapse of the Heshemite regime in Jordan. Israel executes the old 'Jordanian option' expelling hundreds of thousands of Palestinians across the Jordan River. There has never been a better opportunity for that option...." Calling on his fellow Israelis to act now to stop the Iraq war, Benvenisti writes, "Warnings about ethnic cleansing should not only come from committed leftists, but from people whose patriotism cannot be questioned...." Benvenisti concludes that the Americans should be "warned that an assault on Iraq could unleash ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians. Nobody should be allowed to say they weren't warned."
Top U.S. Military Brass Want a Congressional Vote on Iraq War
The top military leadership in the United States want a Congressional vote on the Iraq war before it can be adopted as policy, reports Aviation Week, citing unnamed military officials. The report says that top military officials have rethought their position, and they now believe the military needs public approval in advance from Congress. The Aviation Week report also coheres with statements from members of Congress who have served in wars such as the Vietnam conflict, who warn that the U.S. should never again enter a war that does not have the support of the American people. "The Pentagon paid attention to the Biden hearings [on the Iraq war], and is more concerned now about Congressional approval," says a senior Air Force official. "Military leaders are pressing the White House to secure a separate Congressional OK for an attack. Because of the signals out of Congress, they no longer think the post-Sept. 11 resolution [on use of force] is sufficient, because the intelligence agencies haven't been able to connect the dots between attacks on the U.S. and Saddam Hussein's regime." They also reportedly want to smoke out Congressional opposition, so there is little partisan sniping once the war begins.
Iraq Renews Invitation for U.S. Congressional Delegation Visit on Weapons Inspections
Agence France Presse reported on Aug. 14 that Iraq has renewed the invitation for a U.S. Congressional delegation to visit the country on a fact-finding mission relevant to Iraq's weapons capabilities; the delegation could include "a team of experts" to visit sites where weapons of mass destruction are allegedly being produced. The Baath Party daily Ath-Thawra published an invitation, which asks: "Would it not be appropriate for Congress to take advantage of this opportunity offered by the Iraqi Parliament to check these accusations on the ground, for the sake of U.S. national security and to avoid America launching itself into an adventure that even its allies dub illegal and immoral?" The papers add that those members who accepted the invitation "will not be brainwashed" during their visit. On Aug, 5, a letter of invitation to U.S. Congressmen was issued by the Speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly, Dr. Sadoun Hammadi.
Sharon Told Bush: Israel Will Fire Back If Attacked by Iraq
Ariel Sharon has told President Bush that Israel will not sit on the sidelines if attacked by Iraq, as it did in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The Washington Times reported in a front-page story on Aug. 13 that Israel will not restrict itself to a "symbolic" retaliation, if Saddam fires SCUD missiles at Israel following a U.S. invasion or attack on Iraq. A similar report appeared this week in the Jerusalem Post. Israel now has a nuclear triad, including three diesel-powered submarines, equipped with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, making Israel under Ariel Sharon the only genuine "rogue state" armed with weapons of mass destruction. While Sharon has threatened that he will fully engage Iraq if Saddam strikes out at Israel in the context of a U.S. invasion to overthrow the regime in Baghdad, the overwhelming indications are that Sharon would actually concentrate the bulk of his military forces against Lebanon, Syria, and the 3 million-plus Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza, whom he intends to "mass transfer" across the river into Jordan, if the U.S. is foolish enough to start the war on Iraq. The JP, however, adds the following twist: the Israel Defense Force is drawing up plans for a "graduated response" to Iraq, but both the U.S. and Israel fear that Saddam Hussein may strike Israel first, leading to an Israeli response before the U.S. attacks.
European Diplomat Fears Sharon Will Launch Massive Ethnic Cleansing
The danger is very real that the Israelis will carry out a massive "transfer" ethnic cleansing policy against the Palestinians, in the event of an American attack on Iraq, a senior European diplomat commented in a discussion with EIR on Aug. 15. This individual, with significant contacts in U.S. and European policy circles, said that his reading is "the attack on Iraq will come in October. The longer the Bush Administration waits, the more things get out of hand for them, because opposition grows by the day." Under these conditions, he affirmed, "Sharon would carry out his policy of transferring Palestinians into Jordan. What I see happening, is one or more awful terrorism incidents against Israelis, with perhaps hundreds dying. In fact, Sharon, who thinks in purely military terms, would like this. He is like the military commander who sends his men into battle, knowing that 20% will die. What does Sharon care, if a few hundred Israelis are sacrificed in big terrorism incidents, if that paves the way for his bigger plans?" This individual is worried that, on a "world scale," big terrorism outrages could soon be orchestrated to expedite the war against Iraq. "I'm sure the French government lives under fear of being targetted by terrorism, and my estimation is that Bush, too, lives under this fear. The people who did Sept. 11, are capable of doing a lot of damage; they are desperate."
Sharon Declares: Iraq Is Our Greatest Threat
Speaking before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said, in answer to a question on whether Israel planned on attacking Iraq if the latter atacks Israel, "We don't know for certain if the U.S. will attack Iraq. Iraq is a great danger. It could be said it is the greatest danger. We aren't intervening in U.S. decisions." His remarks were reported in the Aug. 13 issue of the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. He added that "strategic coordination between Israel and the U.S. has reached unprecedented dimensions."
Hysteria Over WMD Is Being Whipped Up in Israel
An attempt is underway to build up the war fears in Israel, with no less than four articles in Ha'aretz alone covering various aspects of the need for preparing for attacks by weapons of mass destruction (WMD). First, the Defense Ministry confirmed reports that the protective kits given to the general public in times of war, which includes gas masks, will now also include Lugol Iodine capsules, a well-known antidote for radiation poisioning. These tablets cost only $1 dollar, are available without perscription, and help block the influence of radioactive iodine by protecting the thyroid gland, a key mechanism for sustaining the body's immunity. Israeli Defense Ministry spokesmen say they will distribute the capsules because they fear that al-Qaeda and other terror groups could produce and deploy "dirty" radiation bombs. Significantly, the report says that this action is being coordinated with the U.S., pointing out that the U.S. Administration has ordered hundreds of thousands of these tablets as well. Another example of the cooperation is the fact that Gen. Uzi Dayan, the head of the Israeli National Security Council, will be going to the U.S. to participate in a closed-door seminar on suicide bombings which is being convened by Tom Ridge, President Bush's Homeland Security Adviser. Meanwhile, more hysteria was created when Dr. Areh Eldad, who heads the team advising the Health Ministry on epidemiological control, resigned in the wake of the Ministry's decision to reject his team's proposal that the entire population be inoculated against smallpox. The move is expected to create so much panic that the government will have to start the mass inoculation. This is an interesting move since Eldad, who is a reserve general, was the Israel Defense Force's chief medical officer. He is also a potential war criminal. Not so long ago, he stated that the only solution to Israel's security problem was an all-out war which would make possible the forced transfer of the Palestinian population across the Jordan River. According to Dr. Boaz Lev, the director-general of the Health Ministry, Eldad's opinion was in fact "a minority" one, and the issue had been thoroughly discussed. Third, big play is being given to a story in the Washington Times claiming that the U.S. has satellite pictures of massive numbers of trucks going to and from a facility in Iraq which the U.S. claims is a biological weapons facility. Fourth, Military Intelligence chief General Aharon Ze'evi told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that the military is contemplating the possibility of "mega-attacks," which could include several suicide bombers or car bombs going off simultaneously and causing massive numbers of casualties.
Sharon Vetoes U.S./Palestinian Cooperation as Likud Fanatics Commit Another War Crime
Following high-level meetings beginning Aug. 9 in Washington, D.C. between the Bush Administration and members of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's Cabinet, the U.S. government has come under heavy pressure from fascist Likud Party circles in Israel, and their U.S. backers among the organized-crime-linked "MEGA" circles of Michael Steinhardt and the Bronfman family. In response, according to sources close to the Middle East negotiations, the Bush Administration is about to sabotage the Palestinian peace process by "cancelling" Palestinian elections that were being discussed by the Palestinian Authority leadership, with Arafat, and planned for January 2003. According to Ha'aretz, Sharon continues to refuse to deal with the PA as long as Arafat is still in power. On Aug. 13, Sharon said, "As long as he [Arafat] is head of the PA, we can't reach an agreement because the terror won't stop. This isn't my personal problem. It is a political problem." Simply put, the visit to Washington by three Cabinet ministers of Arafat's Palestinian National Authority government adviser Saeb Erekat, Interior Minister Abdel Razak Yehiyeh, and Economics Minister Marzi was a success. In meetings with Secretary of State Colin Powell and CIA Director George Tenet, the Palestinians discussed plans for a January election which, they said, would require that Israeli troops evacuate the occupied areas. In a parallel move, European, UN, and Russian diplomats were working in the Occupied Territories to bring about a ceasefire by all Palestinian groups, in order to further the Israeli withdrawal from all of Area A (under Palestinian Authority government). In Washington, the Palestinian ministers made clear that the leader of the Palestinian people is Arafat, and no one can tell him that he cannot run for President, or dictate that he has to "hand over power" to a Prime Minister. Any such schemes for puppet government were dismissed by the Palestinians. For Sharon, MEGA, and the "Clash of Civilizations" warmongers, the progress represented by the Washington trip is a nightmare. As one highly qualified Washington source expressed it, even if Ariel Sharon himself supervised the Palestinian elections, Arafat would still win the Presidency. It would mean in effect that "new" elections, approved by Washington, would elect Arafat, and give the Palestinian government full legitimacy the opposite of the intentions Sharon and his generals had, after George W. Bush's anti-Arafat speech on June 24. So, if the White House were to cancel the Palestinian elections, this would also cancel the pressure for Israeli withdrawal from any Palestinian territories. Just to ensure that rage and revenge would overpower the peace negotiations, however, on Aug. 14, the Sharon forces unleashed the assassination of another Hamas leader, Nasser Khaled Ibrahim Jerar in an attack near the town of Nablus. This IDF operation qualifies by all definitions as a war crime. According to a description sent out to journalists by the Israeli embassy in Washington, Jerar was crushed to death under the rubble when an apartment building was destroyed. The Israeli government communiqué noted that Jerar is a double amputee, but said that he is the "mastermind" of terrorist actions.
Israeli Army Tries To Kill Pro-Peace Israeli Journalist
The Israeli military almost killed Gideon Levy, one of the most pro-peace commentators on the staff of the Israeli daily Ha'aretz. Levy was travelling in the West Bank city of Tul Karm, with the permission of the military, when a soldier shot at the taxi in which he and his photographer were riding. Although the soldier shot directly into the windshield, with the intention of killing those inside, the military tried to claim it was a mistake. The military disciplined two of the soldiers involved with only suspended sentences. Levy is the highest-profile commentator willing to tell the truth about what is happening in the territories, and has gotten threats on his life after being accused of being a traitor. The incident was reported in Ha'aretz on Aug. 12.
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