War
on Iraq Archives War
on Iraq [Home]
Checkmating Iraq (Linda Heard, Alternet, October 24, 2002) The proposal involves a joint U.S.-Israel mission whereby American Special Forces would be used, backed by Israeli intelligence, and is said to have been put to the U.S. administration by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during his recent visit to the American leader in Washington. . . . Israel is actively encouraging the U.S. to invade Iraq and has threatened to retaliate should it be the recipient of Iraqi missiles as it was in the 1991 Gulf War. But, unlike his father, who managed to restrain the Israeli government of the day, Bush junior appears to have given Sharon the green light to enter the fray. . . . Starting this month, most Arab visitors to the U.S. will be fingerprinted, photographed and even interrogated by immigration officials at U.S. airports and border crossings. Saudi Arabia seems to have decided that enough is enough and has introduced a reciprocal policy applicable to Americans entering Saudi, as well as to those alrea4dy resident in the kingdom. . . . President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt believes that the United States would be better employed working on ways to stop Israeli aggression in the Occupied Territories than preparing to attack Iraq. . . . In an emotional public acceptance of a new seven-year term of office, shown in its entirety by CNN, the Iraqi President said: "Our friends everywhere. You are facing the U.S. policy of hegemony, which seeks the path of blood and violence as well as the means of destruction." . . . While the American administration's motives for a proposed attack on Iraq are already suspect, they have been further highlighted by last Friday's announcement by North Korea that it is developing nuclear weapons, despite an earlier agreement not to do so, brokered by ex-President Jimmy Carter. . . . Rumsfeld went as far as saying that North Korea only has two or three (nuclear missiles) in a tone implying that these were a mere drop in the ocean and hardly worth worrying about. The Defence Secretary is also strangely comfortable with Israel's 300 or so nuclear warheads even though the region is highly volatile. . . . why is Iraq a greater threat to world peace and security than North Korea? . . . The bottom line: Saddam is a threat not to world peace or American lives but to America's ambitions. . . . The report, entitled "Strategic Energy Policy Challenges for the 21st Century," concludes: "The United States remains a prisoner of its energy dilemma ... Saddam Hussein has also demonstrated a willingness to use the oil weapon and to use his own export programme to manipulate oil markets. . . . "Therefore, the US should conduct an immediate policy review towards Iraq, including military, energy, economic and political/diplomatic assessments." . . . In this lengthy game of chess with people's lives as the pawns, Saddam is currently emerging as the victor. World opinion is on the side of the Iraqi people.
posted by LoZo 6:20 PM
|