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Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Zeev Hed who wrote (1510)	1/31/2002 6:29:50 PM
From: Scoobah	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

Rightist ex-generals propose massive invasion of territories By Amos Harel, Ha'aretz Correspondent haaretzdaily.com Brig. Gen. (res.) Effi Eitam (Fein): "This is a first attempt by the right to present a political-security plan that...proposes solutions to the situation." (Photo: Ha'aretz Archive) A group of senior reserve officers, led by Brig. Gen. (res.) Effi Eitam (Fein) are working on a "security-political plan" that includes reoccupying the territories to destroy the Palestinian Authority and changing the political system to prevent Arabs from being elected to the Knesset. Former reserve generals and senior defense establishment officials are taking part in the formulations of the plan. Eitam, who left the army a year ago and makes no secret of his right wing views, has been conducting intensive political activity in recent months. Beyond the plan's military recommendations are Eitam's plans to directly enter the political arena, possibly as part of a new right wing movement. The plan has already been presented to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who refrained from expressing support for it, and is due to be presented to the public in the coming weeks. Eitam and his associates say Israel faces an "evasive threat," meaning one that is difficult to identify. That's why, they say, Israel has so much difficulty dealing with it. "If we were now facing an invasion of Syrian or Egyptian armies into the Golan Heights or the Negev, we'd all know what to do," said one of the formulators of the document. "The trouble is that Israel is now like a person for whom cancer, not a bullet, is threatening his life. Our problem is the diagnosis - and by the time we wake up, it will be too late." Eitam added, "This is a first attempt by the right to present a political-security plan that doesn't make do only with blocking Palestinian intentions but proposes solutions to the situation." The plan calls for a massive Israeli invasion of Palestinian cities. The former generals argue that the military incursions into cities like Jenin and Tul Karm proved in recent weeks that the IDF would have no problem taking over the cities. They propose entering the territories, "cleaning" them of terrorists and weapons, and then ruling the areas. The move would include the elimination of the Palestinian Authority. Some also call for the physical elimination of Yasser Arafat. According to the ex-generals, the strategic reality could be changed "in a week." The former generals say they have support for their plan in the top command of the IDF. They believe Israel should unilaterally declare that no sovereignty other than Israel would ever be allowed into the area west of the Jordan River. They say such a declaration would lead to the withering of the intifada, "because the suicide bombers are not blowing themselves up out of despair, but out of hope they can drive us out of the territories. As soon as they find out that won't happen, the level of violence will also drop." The plan also recommends taking far-reaching steps in other areas: An aggressive Israeli military approach to the nuclear threat from Iran (if the U.S. doesn't do it); encouraging democratic regimes in the area (including changing the regime in Jordan so it becomes the Palestinian state), and limiting the political power of Israeli Arabs. The plan recommends changing the electoral system to a district system, with the districts gerrymandered to prevent significant Israeli Arab representation in the Knesset. The main criteria, they believe, is whatever strengthens Israel as a Jewish state. They say they hope to win broad support for their goals in the Israeli public, and that they believe the Americans would acquiesce to their plans. They say the circumstances may be such that the current administration in Washington would not object to these proposed Israeli steps.

To: Zeev Hed who wrote (1510)	2/1/2002 5:42:19 AM
From: Baldur Fjvlnisson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

Report: Saudis financed escape of 4,000 Al Qaida to fight Israel Special to World Tribune.com MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE Monday, January 28, 2002 LONDON — Saudi Arabia is financing the relocation of thousands of Al Aqaida insurgents to the West Bank and Gaza strip, Western intelligence sources said. The German daily Die Welt reported on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia has financed the escape of 4,000 agents of Saudi fugitive Osama Bin Laden to Lebanon. The newspaper, quoting CIA and Western intelligence sources, said the operation is meant to provide the Palestinian Authority with trained combatants to fight in the war against Israel. The sources were quoted as saying that Saudi Arabia has offered $5,000 for each Al Qaida member who resettles in the West Bank or Gaza Strip. Already 4,000 Al Qaida insurgents have fled from Afghanistan to Lebanon, with many of them being harbored in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein Hilwe. Die Welt also reported that the Saudi intelligence service paid Iran $10 million to buy weapons for the Palestinian Authority. The weapons were confiscated in wake of the capture by Israel of the Karine-A freighter on Jan. 3 in the Red Sea. The report was the latest to assert that Al Qaida members intend to relocate to the Palestinian areas. Last week Western diplomatic sources in Ankara confirmed a report in the Turkish Daily News that Bin Laden agents are seeking to escape to the Palestininan Authority. In a related development, the United States has warned Egypt against disputing claims by Washington that the Karine-A was headed for the PA. Israeli diplomatic sources said that the Bush administration warned President Hosni Mubarak that Washington was ready to publicize its dispute with Cairo regarding strategic issues unless the leadership in Cairo halted public expressions of doubt regarding Palestinian smuggling of weaponry. Mubarak met Israel Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer in the Sinai resort of Sharm-e-Sheik on Wednesday. Diplomatic sources said Mubarak agreed to meet Ben-Eliezer to improve relations with the United States, ahead of the president's visit next month.