MIDEAST NEWS DIGEST
Richard Perle Rattles Sabers at American-Turkish Council
At the annual conference of the American-Turkish Council March 18, rightwing ultra-hawk Richard Perle participated in a forum with two Turkish representatives and CNN's "Islam expert" Peter Bergen. Perle asserted that the Bush Administration is engaged in ongoing discussion on the need for "preemptive actions against Saddam Hussein," and--although he insists that there is evidence connecting Saddam Hussein to al-Qaeda--said that the main reasons for a preemptive strike are Saddam's drive to acquire and/or use weapons of mass destruction and "Saddam's hatred of the United States."
When one of the speakers asked Perle about Arab leaders' rejection of Vice President Cheney's appeal for support against Iraq, Perle commented, "Well, I just don't know what they told the Vice President in private.... The Arab leaders feel there is nothing to be gained by getting ahead of the U.S. on this issue." Perle indicated that at the point the U.S. acted, they would all get on board--and if not, too bad.
Regarding Egypt's possible reactions to an assault on Iraq, Perle said, "We should do it anyway and not worry about the Egyptians. Turkey is more important than Egypt." He claimed that, compared to 1990-1991 and the Persian Gulf War, Saddam is much weaker, the U.S. has more sophisticated weaponry, and 11 more years of Saddam Hussein's rule have increased the domestic opposition even from within the Iraqi military. "It would be much quicker, much easier now. Not like 1991.... There will probably be dancing on the streets of Baghdad when Saddam falls."
Asked if a military attack on Iraq required as a precondition, a relaxation of tension in the Middle East, Perle replied, "No. And we can't let that determine our actions. The Palestinian media is still calling for a holy war against Israel. You can't have peace when one of the parties wants to destroy the other...."
Summing up, Perle laid out the perspective of the Clash of Civilizations worldwide: "We have an interest in defeating fundamentalist groups around the world, so that they don't come to power anywhere."
Jane's: Israeli Spy Scandal Political Dynamite
"Political dynamite which could result in a political backlash against Israel, which is finding itself increasingly isolated"--thus does the March 15 issue of Jane's Intelligence Digest, one of the best-informed British intelligence and defense outlets, describe the scandal of the Israeli spy network in the United States.
The British magazine supports the recent exposure by Intelligence Online, which is considered close to French Intelligence circles (see Issue #2 of EIW). It also stresses that since its founding, Israel has been spying on the United States. Jane's even mentions the spying on the White House that EIR's exposure made known all over the world.
Writes Jane's: "It is rather strange that the U.S. media, with one notable exception, seems to be ignoring what may well prove to be the most explosive story since the 11 September attacks--the alleged break-up of a major Israeli espionage operation in the United States which aimed to infiltrate both the Justice and Defence Departments and which may also have been tracking Al-Qaeda terrorists before the aircraft hijackings took place. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been quick to dismiss a 4 March report by Intelligence Online, a French web site that specialises in security matters (and expanded on by French daily Le Monde the following day) that U.S. authorities had arrested or deported some 120 Israelis since February 2001, and that the investigation was still continuing. The FBI insists that no Israeli has been charged with espionage, but has agreed that an undisclosed number of Israeli students have been expelled for 'immigration violations.' Justice Department spokeswoman Susan Dryden dismissed the espionage allegations as 'an urban myth that's been circulating for months'....
"If the reports from Paris are correct, it would be the largest known Israeli espionage operation mounted in the USA, the Jewish state's closest ally and one on which it depends for its survival. Israel's intelligence organisations have been spying on the USA and running clandestine operations on U.S. soil since the Jewish state was established. This has included smuggling an estimated 200 pounds of weapons-grade uranium for its secret nuclear arms programme in the 1960s to widescale industrial espionage, much of it conducted by the highly secret Scientific Liaison Bureau, known by its Hebrew acronym Lakam, which was run by the Israeli Defence Ministry and its equally little-known successor Malmab (the Security Authority for the Ministry of Defence). Indeed, the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, reported in April 1996 that Israel 'conducts the most aggressive espionage operation against the United States of any U.S. ally.' While the sort of operation described by Intelligence Online and Le Monde (if indeed the allegation is true) is unlikely to have caused anywhere near the damage to U.S. security inflicted by Navy analyst Jonathan Pollard, an American who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 for providing Israeli intelligence with a mountain of top-secret material in 1984-85, it would still be political dynamite which could result in a political backlash against Israel, which is finding itself increasingly isolated within the international community....
"U.S. officials admitted to reporters that the entire investigation had become 'too hot to handle,' but declined to give further details. However, some FBI officials did confirm at the time that the Israelis were running a major eavesdropping operation that had penetrated into the highest echelons of the U.S. administration."
Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah: War on Terror, War on Drugs
In an interview with Barbara Walters aired on ABC's 20/20 program on March 15, Crown Prince Abdullah, acting head of state of Saudi Arabia, called for expanding the war on terrorism into a war on drugs:
WALTERS: Osama bin Laden wants to damage Saudi Arabia as well as the U.S. Is there any danger that he can accomplish this?
CROWN PRINCE ABDULLAH: Bin Laden is no threat to us. When he was in the Sudan, he was virtually nothing. When he moved to Afghanistan, he became involved in the drug trade and his income increased. In my opinion, the drug trade allowed him to expand his influence and organization. This is a fact. Drugs and terrorism are two sides of the same coin. Terrorists get their funding from the drug trade, and drug lords use terrorism to protect their turf. The same means used to combat terrorism can also be used to combat drugs. We need a multinational effort, and countries that require assistance to join in the effort should be helped. Countries that refuse to participate should be punished.
In fact, the Bush Administration has sent signals from time to time that it is contemplating such an extension, of the war on terror into a war on drugs. As far back as last November, joint press conferences between Presidents Bush and Putin featured the two heads of state referring to the connection of drugs and drug-money funding, to terrorism, and recent actions by the U.S. to support the Colombian government in its battle against the narcoterrorist FARC insurgency, point in the same direction.
Cheney's Mideast Tour: Arab Leaders Say No War on Iraq
In Jordan March 12, Vice President Dick Cheney was told by King Abdullah that the latter opposed any military action against Iraq, as it would undermine the anti-terrorism war, and destabilize the whole Middle East. The Jordanian Foreign Minister added that Iraq's territorial integrity must be safeguarded, and pointed to fears of violent repercussions of a war inside Jordan, where over half the population is Palestinian.
Next, Cheney heard President Hosni Mubarak telling him Egypt is opposed to any American plan to overthrow Saddam Hussein, and is committed "to maintain the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq ... to preserve regional stability." Mubarak added that Saddam should be given the opportunity to comply with UN resolutions, regarding inspectors. "And I think," he said, "as far as my knowledge is, that he is going to accept the inspectors."
In Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh told Cheney March 14 that he opposed military action, because it would undermine regional stability. "We don't want more oil on the fire," an adviser told reporters. In the United Arab Emirates, Cheney met Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, who told him the Emirates "are opposed to any military strike against Iraq," according to the official WAM agency.
Even Kuwait was not happy about a war against Iraq. First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah told Cheney that Kuwait does not support any military strike against Iraq, because it will not harm the Iraqi regime as much as the Iraqi people.
Saudi Arabia had the same message for Cheney. "I do not believe it is in the interests of the United States, or the interests of the region, or the world," to attack Iraq, Abdullah said. He said that Saudi Arabia will not allow its bases to be used for any U.S. attack on Iraq.
After meeting Cheney, Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit told the press an attack on Iraq was "not necessary," and "Turkey and the U.S. would be able to prevent any Iraqi aggression."
Did Cheney Discuss Military Coup Option in Turkey, Saudi?
At the end of his tour, during his talks with Turkish Prime Minister Ecevit, Vice President Cheney said, as always, that there were no immediate plans for a U.S. attack on Iraq--but indications point in a different direction, according to Neue Zuercher Zeitung March 20.
Ecevit said that from the Turkish standpoint, there could be "no question" of an attack against Iraq, because of the danger of Iraq's disintegrating, and the emergence of a Kurdish entity which would immediately affect the 12 million Kurds in Turkey, NZZ explained. Turkey's economy is reeling, and would be dealt a death blow if its trade with Iraq were stopped.
Cheney also met Chief of Staff Kivrikoglu and, according to former Ambassador Sukru Eledag, who is close to the Turkish General Staff, they discussed three options: 1) eliminating Saddam Hussein through a secret services operation; 2) mounting an Afghhanistan II operation, using the Kurds as the Northern Alliance; and 3) deploying U.S. ground troops with the active participation of Turkey. Since the generals would exclude the deployment of Turkish tanks or troops, but would okay use of air space and bases, the implied conclusion is that the first option was upfront in the discussion.
The Saudi paper Al Watan indicated that something similar may have been on the agenda of Cheney's talks with Crown Prince Abdullah. The paper quotes Saudi Foreign Minister Al Faisal saying a change in the Iraqi regime would be possible, and acceptable, only if carried out by the Iraqi people--and that this would require U.S. support. On the other hand, a failed intervention, like an invasion, would be a catastrophe, which would only increase the suffering of the Iraqi people.
In light of all this, analysts will want to keep an eye on the meeting planned for the end of March in the Washington area, between leading former Iraqi military men and U.S. personnel.
Newsweek: Iraq's Defector-Generals Found To Be Defective
The latest issue of Newsweek magazine (cover date March 25) says the big question being raised by President Bush's talk of "regime change" in Iraq is: Who will replace Saddam? Iraqi National Congress head Ahmed Chalabi is popular among top civilian aides in the Defense Department, but is regarded with scorn by most the rest of the U.S. national-security establishment, Newsweek says.
At CIA, the State Department, and among the uniformed military, the search is on for a respected Iraqi military officer who can ride in, take control, and unite Iraq's tribes and religious groups; but, Newsweek reports, interviews it conducted with five of the most prominently mentioned Iraqi ex-generals "raised questions about their readiness, willingness, and fitness to lead."
"The good news is that the generals are all very experienced war fighters. The bad news is the way they fought--sometimes, with chemical weapons."
Nizar al-Khazraji, for example, has impressive credentials, and was the top commander of the Iraqi Army from 1980 to 1991. But there's one problem: The Danish government is investigating him for possible war crimes.
General al-Shamari, who now runs a restaurant in Northern Virginia, might present a problem of a different sort. He says he carried out Saddam's orders to gas Iranians during the Iran-Iraq War, and he says the effect was devastating. How does he know? From U.S. satellite intelligence, conveyed to the Iraqis by the CIA.
Chalabi Facing 20-Year Jail Term
Richard Perle's candidate to replace Saddam Hussein in Iraq--namely, Iraqi National Congress head Ahmed Chalabi--is facing a 20-year prison term in Jordan. According to a Jordanian diplomat, Chalabi fled from Amman to London in 1988, after he was caught in a massive money-laundering and embezzlement scheme, which almost brought down the Jordanian currency. He was tried in absentia, found guilty, and sentenced to a minimum 20 years in prison. When Dick Cheney was in Jordan, King Abdullah II told reporters that, if Chalabi set foot in Jordan, he would immediately be sent to prison, to start serving his sentence.
Kurdish 'Option' Is No Option
German journalist Scholl-Latour, writing in the March 10 issue of WeltamSonntag, reported on a visit he made to Iraq in which he interviewed PUK Kurdish leader Talebani. The latter made no bones about his opposition to any war against Iraq. Scholl-Latour writes as follows:
"'I ask you a direct and naive question,' I begin our evening discussion. 'Will it come to a war between the U.S. and Iraq?' The answer is an unequivocal yes. The only unknown is the timeframe of the U.S. offensive, and no one in Baghdad knows what strategic plans the Americans will try this time to oust Saddam Hussein." Scholl-Latour writes that he got the same response from Iraqis.
Asking Talebani, "If then, as mooted, the rebellious Kurds of northern Iraq, comparable to the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, should offer themselves as allies and march on Baghdad?" Talebani replies, "We are not mercenaries ... and one should be careful not to compare Mesopotamia with the Hindu Kush."
The article points out that war would be against the Kurds' interests, since they have a secure livelihood through the oil-for-food trade going through their region.
Scholl-Latour also interviewed Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, who also sees the war as inevitable. "The American President clearly admitted that Iraq for him, is not a matter of fighting terrorism, and not even a question of control over new weapons. He wants, in violation of our sovereignty, to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein and build up an armed opposition, in order to unleash a civil war."
Militarily, Scholl-Latour thinks the Iraqi Army would not offer major resistance. But he notes that, whereas the elder President Bush had, in 1990-91, a half-million U.S. troops and tens of thousands of allied troops, this time, the U.S. has 30,000 troops in Kuwait, and the British as many again. This is not sufficient to occupy and hold a country as big as Iraq, with 25 million inhabitants.
More Israeli Reservists Go to Jail in Protest
According to the March 21 issue of Ha'aretz, the Israeli newspaper, more Israeli reserve soldiers and officers who have signed the Combatants Letter 2002, which declares their refusal to serve in the occupied territories, have been sent to jail. Approximately 10 soldiers have been sentenced to military prison terms of 28 days, the most recent being Staff Sergeant (Res.) Yishai Mor, 34, who refused to serve in the Gaza Strip, and Sergio Iani, 35, director of the Center for Alternative Information in Jerusalem, who refused to serve at all in the Reserves as long as the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories continues.
The U.S.-based liberal Jewish organizatin Tikkun on March 22 ran a full-page ad in the New York Times headlined: "Support the Israeli Army Reservists Who Say 'No' to the Occupation."
"We are committed to a pro-Israel movement that, like the reservists, upholds the highest vision of what Israel and the Jewish people stand for--a world a peace, justice, love of the stranger, generosity and goodness," the ad says. It supports calls for a worldwide day of fasting on March 27 in support of the reservists, and urges people to use the Passover seders, beginning March 27, or Christian Holy Week observances, for "a mini-teach-in about the way that Israel is increasingly perceived as a Pharoah to a population that is seeking its own freedom and self-determination."
Netanyahu Says He'd Deport Arafat, Build Wall Against Palestine
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an interview to the March 25 issue of Time magazine in which he detailed his so-called "peace" plan between Israel and Palestine. Asserting that Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat has never accepted Israel's right to exist, despite the Oslo Accords (because Arafat continues to insist on a Palestinian right-of-return, including in Israel), Netanyahu said that if he were in power in Israel, he would invade the Palestinian territories, deport Arafat, disarm the PA police, the Tanzin militia, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and then set up a security buffer between Israel and Palestine. He would build a permanent wall between the two states--a wall that did not run along the 1967 borders. In other words, he would annex portions of the West Bank and Gaza. This same "peace plan," dubbed "a war and then a wall," was formally presented by Edgar Bronfman at the most recent World Jewish Congress convention in Jerusalem.
|