Iran, Iraq put feud on hold to back attacks on Israel

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.