Iran, Iraq put feud on hold to back attacks on Israel
By Steve Rodan, Middle East Newsline
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, December 6, 2000
For the first time, Iran and Iraq are shelving their differences and
have launched military cooperation against Israel.
Israeli military sources said the two longtime foes are now cooperating
in ensuring that Iranian missiles, weapons and other supplies arrive to
Teheran's ally Hizbullah. They said that Hizbullah — encouraged by Iran and
Syria — has renewed sporadic attacks along Israel's northern border.
The sources said Baghdad has allowed Iranian planes to transport weapons
through Iraqi air space. The approval was granted after Turkey twice
intercepted Iranian planes with weapons and Katyusha rockets for Hizbullah.
The last interception was reported in early November.
The Iranian flights are now arriving directly to Beirut airport, the
sources said. But they added that Iraq is not the only route used by Iranian
planes carrying weapons to Hizbullah. They said Turkey remains an option.
"There is more than one way that Iran can send Katyusha rockets to
Lebanon — not necessarily through Iraq," a senior military source said.
The military cooperation between Iran and Iraq was arranged by Syria.
The sources said a breakthrough in the Iraqi-Syrian reconciliation effort —
which began in 1997 — was achieved over the last two months by new
President Bashar Assad.
Israel has raised the Iranian-Iraqi-Syrian cooperation with the Clinton
administration. Officials said the White House — operating in a political
vacuum in wake of the still inconclusive presidential election last month —
has withheld action and will leave any decisions to a successor
administration. They said the administration is shying away from any
significant support of Israel amid concern that this would further erode the
U.S. position in the Middle East.
Israeli analysts said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is the linchpin in
the new three-way cooperation. They said Saddam has been emboldened by
soaring oil prices and a successful effort to erode Iraq's isolation.
Saddam, who has reportedly honored his threat to end oil exports, is said to
believe that a war with Israel would shatter international sanctions against
Baghdad.
"Iraq would very much want to help Hizbullah," said Haifa University's
Amatzia Baram, a leading expert on Iraq and Syria. "For Saddam, this would
mean bolstering his standing in the Arab world. Besides, every Iranian
mortar sent to Hizbullah would mean one less for use against Iraq."
The Iranian-Iraqi cooperation on Hizbullah appears to be the only issue
on which the two countries agree. Officials said a quiet effort over the
last few months has not achieved a reconciliation between Baghdad and
Teheran — this despite high-level Iranian visits to Iraq.
"Almost all relevant bilateral issues are still on the table awaiting a
resolution," Nizar Hamdoon,
undersecretary at Iraq's foreign ministry, told the London-based Middle East
Economic Survey.
"We look forward to a serious approach by [Iran] them."
In contrast, the reconciliation between Baghdad and Damascus entered
high gear when Iraq reactivated the oil pipeline to Syria and Iraqi Deputy
Prime Minister Tariq Aziz twice visited Damascus in the space of a week.
Iraqi officials said Syria will soon establish an interest office in
Baghdad.
Syria has lifted restrictions on travel of its nationals to Iraq, Iraqi
officials said. They said the Syrian
Interior Ministry has ordered the removal of the phrase "except Iraq" from
all Syrian passports, ending a 20-year-old policy.
"The relations between Syria and Iraq have never been so good —
militarily, economically and politically," a senior Israeli military source
said.
Wednesday, December 6, 2000
|