In this issue:

"Breakaway Ally": Cheney Giving Green Light To Israel To Hit Iran

Deja' Vu: Bolton Sneers At Iran/IAEA Attempts At Resolution

Khatami Says Iran Showing Successful Cooperation With IAEA

German Foreign Minister Denounces Israeli Strike on Syria

"Swiss Agreement" Being Forged By Israelis and Palestinians

Turkey Bows To U.S. Pressure To Send Troops to Iraq; Opposition Surges

Australian Prime Minister Censured Over Iraq War

Shi'ite Leader Calls for U.S. to Withdraw From Iraq

From Volume 2, Issue Number 41 of Electronic Intelligence Weekly, Published Oct. 14, 2003
Mideast News Digest

"Breakaway Ally": Cheney Giving Green Light To Israel To Hit Iran

Over the 48 hours, beginning Oct. 11, three major international publications: Germany's Der Spiegel, the Los Angeles Times, and the Israeli Ha'aretz have put out major articles, warning that Israel (1) has the capability to hit Iranian nuclear reactor sites, including with nuclear weapons fired from submarines; (2) that the Mossad is formulating a plan to carry out the Israeli hit against the Iranian installations in six locations; and (3) that there is backing from Washington for Israel's plans.

There is no question that the Vice President Dick Cheney's "Beastmen" are not only fully behind this policy — they are counting on it. The latest developments in U.S. Middle East policy show that "Clean Break" policy, written for Benjamin Netanyahu by Richard Perle, Doug Feith, David Wurmser, and others, is the policy of the Bush Administration — as long as Dick Cheney remains in office.

A full analysis of how Clean Break's call for attacks on Syria and Iran is being implemented is contained in the International Lead of this week's EIR and EIW, complete with excerpts from the original "Clean Break" document. The article, by Jeffrey Steinberg, points out that Wurmser, the second most important co-author (after Richard Perle), was moved over to take a key post Cheney's office, in the recent few weeks. Before that, Wurmser was an assistant to warmonger John Bolton at the State Department.

Ha'aretz's Washington Correspondent Nathan Guttman reports, under the title "IDF Planning To Attack Nuclear Sites in Iran," that the German weekly Der Spiegel reported that "Israel is prepared to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear sites in order to prevent them from being operational." He also cited the Los Angeles Times report that "Israel has the capability to fire nuclear warheads from submarines."

Guttman further reports that "a special Mossad unit has been ordered to formulate an attack plan against the nuclear weapons program sites in Iran," and that "Israel has information on six nuclear sites in Iran, three of them previously unknown in the world." Guttman writes that the Israeli plans is "to have F16 fighter planes attack the sites simultaneously."

The Los Angeles Times article cited "two U.S. officials" who said that they "leaked the information [about Israel's submarine-launched nuclear capability] as a caution to Israel's enemies, particularly Iran."

Inside Israel, the press is reportedly exulting the Israeli plan to hit Iran, according to Al Jazeerah news online. It says that "Maariv published a map of Iran, complete with aerial shots of the suspected nuclear sites," and that Yediot Aharanot ran a photo of the Israeli Dauphin submarine, with graphics to explain how it could "sneak up" and fire its nuclear warheads.

Yediot also quotes Israeli military experts saying that such an attack on Iran — with its 1300 km distance from Israel — is far riskier than the 1981 attack on the Iraqi Osirak reactor.

Inside Washington, among the neo-con warmongers, the 1981 preemptive strike on the Osirak reactor, is hailed as the example of what the U.S. should do. And, it should be noted that reports continue that Cheney's mafia in the Department of Defense continues to pursue a plan to topple the Iran regime and destabilize the country. Last week, it was reported that Undersecretary of Defense Doug Feith had been meeting with a grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, who opposes the current Iran government. Feith has previous been exposed for meeting with Iran-Contra swindler, Manushir Ghorbanifar, as part of the "Office of Special Plans" coup plots.

Deja' Vu: Bolton Sneers At Iran/IAEA Attempts At Resolution

A sign of the Cheney cabal's support for the Israeli threats against Iran came with Undersecretary of State for Arms Control John Bolton's statements to the International Herald Tribune, Oct. 10, where he said that the Iranians "will try and throw sand in our eyes, and use a modest level of cooperation [with the IAEA] to hide some level of obfuscation and lack of cooperation, to conceal as much as they can, to delay, to fight for time, and to avoid having the issue referred to the Security Council."

Asked why Washington is not so militant regarding Israel's known nuclear capability, Bolton stated, "The issue for the US is what poses a threat to us and to our allies. We are not platonic guardians, we are representing American interests." Other U.S. officials claim that Israel's renegade nuclear arsenal is in the same category as those of "allies," France and Britain.

Khatami Says Iran Showing Successful Cooperation With IAEA

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said on Oct. 8, Iran was showing successful cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but vowed Iran would never accept a protocol that could threaten its sovereignty.

"We have never said that we will not sign the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But we will never accept a commitment that may jeopardize the security and national sovereignty of the country," Khatami told reporters after the Majlis (parliament) open session.

"This is a condition that other countries have also set. Even the US set its own conditions for signing the NPT protocol. We have a right to determine conditions."

The IAEA is refusing to provide Iran with the nuclear expertise that under the agency's regulations it is entitled to receive, arguing that Tehran must first sign the NPT protocol that allows snap inspections.

Meanwhile, on Oct. 8, Volker Ruhe, the Chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Policy Committee, supported Iran's right to nuclear energy during a visit to Teheran. Ruhe conferred with the Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Hassan Rowhani on expansion of relations between Germany and Iran.

At the meeting, Rowhani referred to historical ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Germany. Iran's nuclear activities are within the framework of international conventions and regulations, Rowhani said, adding that the Islamic Republic of Iran was among the first signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has been fully committed to its obligations. It is not acceptable that advanced and industrial countries have the exclusive right to such technology while they deprive other countries of such privilege.

Ruhe called for extensive talks between Teheran and Berlin on issues of common concern, and highlighted that it is useless for Iran to be isolated by major powers.

On Iran's nuclear program, he said although Germany has decided to close its nuclear power plants [an irony from pursuing a Green policy], it believes that it is the legitimate right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to have nuclear power plants.

German Foreign Minister Denounces Israeli Strike on Syria

Germany's Foreign Minister has warned that a repetition of the Israeli air strike on Syria will lead to devastating consequences. At a press conference on the Road Map issue, in Berlin Oct. 7, Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer criticized the Israeli air strike against a target on Syrian territory on Oct. 6. Fischer said it was "unacceptable," not just because of concern for Syrian sovereignty as such, but because of concern about the "consequences for peace and stability in the entire region." Fischer called on Israel to show "maximum restraint," or risk triggering "grave consequences not intended."

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder also criticized Israel's actions during his visit to the Middle East (see Europe Digest). The Oct. 11 article in Germany's Der Spiegel has blown up the Israeli plan to attack Iran — possibly with nuclear weapons — into a worldwide scandal.

"Swiss Agreement" Being Forged By Israelis and Palestinians

Officials of the Israeli Knesset, and the Palestinian Legislative Council are meeting over the weekend of Oct. 11-12 in Jordan to attempt to finalize a peace proposal known as the "Swiss Agreement." This initiative is the effort of Oslo leader, Yossi Beilin, the former Labor Party member, now with the Meretz Party, who has been negotiating with Palestinian Legislative Council member Yasser Abed Rabbo, a proposal for final settlement of the conflict.

In addition to Beilin, Labor Party Knesset members Amram Mitzna and Avraham Burg are participating, and also travelling to Jordan. Shinui Party Knesset member Etti Livni has also joined in these talks, but will not be going to Jordan.

Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has denounced these talks as a "cynical attempt" to topple his government, especially since the Shinui Party, is the largest coalition partner in his government.

Mitzna told Israel's Channel 1 TV, "Both sides have a more mature and better understanding today of the need to return to the negotiating table. The will and the intention is there." He added that an agreement will dispel the misconception that the other side is only interested in war. In response to Sharon's attacks on the effort, Mitzna said, "Maybe he is nervous we will burst the illusion that there is no one to talk with and nothing to talk about. There is no doubt that there is someone to talk with and something to talk about."

In supporting this effort, Livni said, "It is a very serious attempt to bring before the public the possibility of a final contract with the Palestinians.... There are solutions we can live with concerning issues like borders, water and transportation."

Turkey Bows To U.S. Pressure To Send Troops to Iraq; Opposition Surges

Turkey's decision to send troops to Iraq has caused alarm bells to go off in the region. The decision of the Erdogan government, ratified by parliament on Oct. 7, is opposed by most of the Turkish population, and — ironically — by the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC), which is defying the U.S. occupiers on this issue.

The IGC members fear the destabilizing effect of the move, but this is not limited only to the Kurdish members, IGC members of other ethnic/religious groups also reject any Turkish presence — or any further foreign presence at all. "Sending these troops would delay our regaining sovereignty," said IGC member Nasser Chaderchi. He reported that Turkish authorities had told the IGC recently that they would not send troops, without their approval.

Both Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Osman Paksut, and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, said the troops would not be occupiers, but a force to reconstruct and stabilize the country. Erdogan said, "Turkish soldiers will not go there as a police or gendarmerie force. They will go there for peace and tranquility for the Iraqi people," he told Anatolia news agency. However, he added, "Hostile approaches towards soldiers ... will be unacceptable."

Washington reportedly has promised to convince the IGC to accept the Turkish troops. But the bitter truth is that no one wants Turkish troops in Iraq, except the U.S. and some Turks. Interviewed by the Financial Times in London, Oct. 10, some pro-US tribal leaders in northern Iraq said that, recalling the 400 years of Ottoman rule, they did not trust the Turks, and suspect them of revanchist proclivities. One tribal leader said he thought the Turks would be "butchered" by the Iraqi resistance forces. Another voiced concern that, if the Turks move in, other neighboring countries will follow suit, and it would be the beginning of the partitioning of Iraq.

Outside the region, other forces have also opposed the deployment. Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Turkish peacekeepers would be unacceptable, and that no Muslim countries would deploy as long as the U.S. were the occupying power. Malaysia is to host a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), now going on. The Secretary General of the OIC has already denounced the foreign occupation of Iraq.

Australian Prime Minister Censured Over Iraq War

Prime Minister John Howard, who along with Britain's Tony Blair and George W. Bush, have most vociferously led the charge on Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, suffered a rare setback Oct. 7, when the Australian Senate censured him for misleading the public in his justification for sending Australia to war with Iraq. The vote was only the fourth time in more than three decades that a sitting prime minister has been censured, and the second in Howard's 7-1/2 years in office.

The motion attacked Howard for failing to adequately inform Australians that intelligence agency warnings about a war with Iraq would increase the likelihood of a terrorist attack. It also noted that no evidence had yet been produced by Howard to justify his claims that in March this year, Iraq possessed stockpiles of completed biological chemical weapons that justified going to war.

The Opposition, comprised of the Greens and Australian Democrats, voted together to defeat the Government by 33 votes to 30. Greens' Senator Bob Brown said Howard was involved in an unprecedented deceit of the nation and deserved censure. "It has become abundantly clear that the Prime Minister was not just a bit wrong. He was totally wrong," Brown told parliament. Defence Minister Robert Hill limply said Australian and other governments believed Saddam Hussein's weapons programs posed a very real danger.

Shi'ite Leader Calls for U.S. to Withdraw From Iraq

The new leader of the SCIRI has called for the United States to withdraw from Iraq. Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, brother of the former SCIRI leader, who was assassinated, was in Teheran for ceremonies commemorating 40 days after the death. In an interview with AFP, reported by the Tehran Times on Oct. 10, he said: "There is international pressure on the US to withdraw its forces from Iraq, and there are demands for the US to be clear on a withdrawal date. So of course we are with the international community to shorten the occupation in Iraq. We hope they leave as soon as possible," he said.

Abdel Aziz is also a member of the Iraqi Governing Council. He went on: "The Iraqi people can do the job. There is no need for foreign countries to send their troops, but they can help in Iraq's reconstruction. The US is making a mistake in the way it is trying to solve the profound security problem in Iraq, and so has trapped itself and the Iraqi people in a quagmire. Therefore, it should change its security policy," he concluded. He said the same applied to the Spanish troops now around Najaf, and Polish troops as well.

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