Mideast News Digest
Al-Watan Daily Prints Part II of LaRouche Interview
On Aug. 26, the Arabic-language Saudi Arabian daily Al-Watan published the second installment of three parts, by Dr. Ahmed Al-Kedidi, under the title "Lyndon LaRouche Analyzes the Secrets of the Doves and Hawks in Dealing with a Potential War."
Dr. Kedidi paraphrases LaRouche's statements from their recent meeting in Germany, where LaRouche dealt with the current danger of war and the background of the utopian military faction in the United States. "The same utopian theories that cost the American people so much in the past decades, are being revived now to launch a war against Iraq, and permit Sharon to have a free hand to take what is left of the land of Palestine," says LaRouche, according to Kedidi.
In contrast, says Kedidi, LaRouche's idea is to go against this imperialist fantasy, to rebuild real and effective solidarity among free and independent nation-states for the sake of progress and peace. Such ideas include the rebuilding of the Silk Road which had connected the continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Real solidarity goes through a dialogue among cultures.
Kedidi also describes LaRouche's previous warning against the AIDS catastrophe in the 1980s, and how the lack of solidarity has affected all nations of the world through the spread of this disease. LaRouche said that he proposed developmental and industrial solutions for these crises over the years, while his enemies proposed genocidal policies.
LaRouche says he is optimistic that a change is still possible, despite the intense danger of war, and that American public opinion is changing. LaRouche further emphasizes that the nations of the world, from Europe to Asia and the Middle East, are opposed to the war policy. He says that Saudi Arabia and Egypt have led the way in this as moderate and major powers in the Islamic world. That is why these nations are being attacked by the neo-conservative war party.
Kedidi concludes with a quote from LaRouche: "I believe that armies should serve the purpose of establishing peace, not fighting wars for the sake of wars. Nobody knows what the Middle East, the world, and the U.S. would gain from a war which has no convincing reason, no strategic plan, and of courseas President Bush knows, has no allies." [The article's url is http://www.alwatan.com.sa/daily/2002-08-26/writers/writers06.htm]
Murawiec Exposed: Saudi Daily Al-Watan Highlights EIR Dossier
On Aug. 27, the Saudi daily Al-Watan published EIR's exposé of Richard Perle's "French expert," putting the story in the context of the breakout of LaRouche's influence in the world today. Al-Watan's lengthy article contained the translation of around 70% of the original EIR/EIW exposé of Laurent Murawiec. The exposé is introduced after a long introduction, placing the attack on Saudi Arabia and the July 10 Pentagon briefing in the context of the current factional war and opposition to the war policy inside the United States. This fight is spearheaded by LaRouche's major campaign against the war hawks and the two favorite candidates of the Zionist Mafia and organized crime, Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain, reports the prestigious Saudi newspaper. The report occupies one full page in the printed version, and was placed on the front page of Al-Watan's website.
The headline says: "Al-Watan publishes revelations and facts about the anti-Saudi speaker in the Defense Policy Board in the Pentagon." The next headline states: "American Politician Lyndon LaRoche: Perle is an Israeli agent who wants to draw America into wars against the Muslims." The article describes Perle as a war-loving creature of Greater Israel and the Anglo-American Empire faction, and explains the context of the July 10 briefing as an event which has brought to the surface a fierce internal fight in and around the Administration on the issue of going to war against Iraq, and the obvious opposition shown by Army generals in the United States. In this context, the introduction to the exposé says, "Perle introduced Laurent Murawiec, whose previous betrayal of American political leader Lyndon LaRouche is well known, to speak about 'occupying Saudi oilfields.' This was akin to committing suicide inside one of the most important American institutions, the Defense Department."
Then the introduction continues:
"What is interesting in the story is that Lyndon LaRouche himself is waging a ferocious campaign against the war hawks faction and the Zionist lobby that is calling for war, with Perle on top of it. LaRouche's Presidential campaign has started a campaign of printing and distributing 5 million copies of leaflets exposing this faction's intentions. Another 20-page study revealed the relationship between the Jewish mafia and the organized crime with their favorite candidates, Joe Lieberman and John McCain, who have been blackmailing President Bush into bombing Iraq and destroying the Palestinian leadership." The article also mentions the Time magazine story, which cited LaRouche on Perle.
The article and the exposé appeared the same day, Aug. 27, as the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., Prince Bandar, was going to meet President Bush at his ranch. The article will be published in other Arabic newspapers and magazines, and is available in full on LaRouche's Arabic website, www.nysol.se/arabic. [The url to Al-Watan story is: http://www.alwatan.com.sa/daily/2002-08-27/affair.htm]
Middle East Envoy General Anthony Zinni: 'War with Iraq Is Unwise'
Speaking to the Economics Club of Florida in Tallahassee on Aug. 23, Gen. Anthony Zinni (USMC-ret) assailed those pushing a war against Iraq in strong language. He said the U.S. should concentrate instead on bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians, eliminate the Taliban threat in Afghanistan, and rout the al-Qaeda. Zinni focussed on the need to take advantage of the opportunity for a peaceful transition in Iran, which he described as a more dangerous situation than Iraq. "We need to quit making enemies that we don't need to make enemies out of," he warned. Zinni then went into a direct assault on the chickenhawks, noting, "It's pretty interesting that all the generals see it the same way, and all the others who have never fired a shot and are hot to go to war see it another way."
Zinni is otherwise well-known for his comments about the Iraqi National Congress, one of the Bush Administration's favorite Iraqi opposition groups, which he said was so amateurish as to threaten a "Bay of Goats"-style action against Saddam Hussein. Zinni, who has been outspoken in criticizing Senators and other warmongers who push a "Clash of Civilizations" against Islam, is still President Bush's Mideast envoy to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, chosen for the post last November by Secretary of State Colin Powell. However, the Administration refuses to answer questions about when Zinni will be returning to the region.
Israelis Caught in Arms Shipments to Iran
The German Customs Authority, following a tip, seized a cargo of Israeli military equipment that was headed for Iran, reported the Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz on Aug. 29. The cargo included 3,000 Israeli-made rubber treads for armored personnel carriers. The cargo was on an Israeli ship, Zim Antwerp I, and the company that was shipping the equipment was the Israeli firm PAD, owned by one Avihai Weinstein. The shipment was to be transferred to a Malaysian ship and had documentation saying it was destined for Thailand. But because the Germans got information from unnamed sources, they were able to seize the goods.
Although Weinstein denies the allegations, this is not the first time he has been accused of selling equipment to Iran. Weinstein's relative and business partner is one Eli Cohen, who is very well known for such trade. In the 1990s he was accused of selling tank engines to Iran. In 1995 Cohen was accused of giving false information to U.S. export licensing authorities when he exported an infrared camera to the Israeli company Elbit, a well-known Israeli military equipment maker. Elbit then illegally sold the camera to another company. It is not known whether the company sold it to Iran or not; nonetheless, according to Ha'aretz, Elbit had sold equipment to Iran at least up until 1989 with the permission of the Israeli Defense Ministry.
The Iranian government denied any connection to the shipment. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "We have no tiesdiplomatic and certainly not militarywith Israel, a regime that we do not recognize." The spokesman said that the story linking Iran to the Israeli arms shipment is intended to harm Iran, and is similar to what he claimed are false stories that say that Iran is giving shelter to al-Qaeda members.
Britain's Chief Rabbi Critical of Iraq War and Israeli Attacks
Great Britain's chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks, in an Aug. 27 interview with the London Guardian, expressed very strong views on Israel's continuing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and urged caution on going to war against Iraq. These statements were uncharacteristic of his public profile and should be seen in the context of the ongoing debate on whether Britain should go to war. Shortly before the interview, Sacks had met with not only Prime Minister Tony Blair, but with Chancellor Gordon Brown, with whom he says he has one of his "loveliest friendships." Brown is said to be against the Iraq war.
On Israel Sacks said, "You cannot ignore a command that is repeated 36 times in the Mosaic books: 'You were exiled in order to know what it feels like to be an exile.' I regard that as one of the core projects of a state that is true to Judaic principle. And therefore I regard the current situation as nothing less than tragic, because it is forcing Israel into postures that are incompatible in the long run with our deepest ideals."
After expressing strong criticism of Palestinian use of terrorism, he added, "There are things that happen on a daily basis which make me feel very uncomfortable as a Jew." He said he was "profoundly shocked" by reports of smiling soldiers posing for a photograph with a corpse of a slain Palestinian. "There is no question that this kind of prolonged conflict, together with the absence of hope, generates hatreds and insensitivities that in the long run are corrupting to culture." These statements are expected to kick up a firestorm among the right wing.
On Iraq he said he would support a war only under three conditions: if there were a clear objective and endgame, a broad coalition of support, and very strict safeguards against civilian casualties. When asked whether he thought it were proper for the Archbishop of Canterbury to speak up against the war, he replied, "That's what is called the dignity of difference."
The interview was played up on the front page of the Guardian, as well as in the Israeli daily Ha'aretz.
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