Barak wants top U.S. weapons in exchange for peace with Syria
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, December 22, 1999
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ehud Barak is pressing the United States
for a commitment to provide the most advanced American weaponry and
technology in any Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.
An Israeli newspaper on Tuesday said this includes six early-warning
Awacs aircraft.
"We expect that some of the most sophisticated weapons and early warning
systems in the world will be made available to us so that Israel can stride
into the coming, post-agreements, period, while maintaining its qualitative
advantage," Barak said.
Military commanders, including Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Eitan Ben
Eliahu, have relayed to Barak that their endorsement of a full withdrawal
from the Golan Heights is linked to billions of dollars of U.S. advanced
systems, such as reconnaissance satellites, advanced aircraft, missile
technology and helicopters.
The Israeli daily Ma'ariv reported on Tuesday that the main concern of
military officials is that in the event of a peace agreement between Israel
and Syria, the Israeli Air Force will be barred from entering Lebanese air
space.
The Air Force currently flies over Lebanon to attack Hizbullah
strongholds and to gather information on Syria.
"This would be a hard blow to the information capabilities of the State
of Israel," one military source said.
To this end, the Air Force has prepared a shopping list for Barak,
including free access to Lebanese air space and a request to the U.S. Air
Force to fly reconnaissance missions over the area for Israel.
Miltary officials are also asking that Israel receive from the U.S.
three electronic reconnaissance J-Star aircraft and three AWACS
reconnaissance aircraft. Israel is also asking for new refuelling aircraft.
That's not all. Israel will also ask for unlimited access to U.S
reconnaissance satellites and to reinforce its own satellites.
Addressing members of his party, Barak said he expects negotiations to
begin with Lebanon regarding an Israeli withdrawal from that country. The
prime minister has set a June 2000 deadline for an agreement with Syria and
Lebanon for an Israeli withdrawal.
"As a consequence of progress [on the Syrian track], we expect to see
progress in the dialogue with Lebanon, as well,'' Barak said on Monday. "We
also would expect to see calming or reining-in of Hizbollah activity."
But Barak did not link an end to Hizbullah attacks to the continuation
of the negotiations. Military sources said leading commanders have urged the
prime minister to issue such a demand.
The sources said on Tuesday that a withdrawal from the Golan would
relocate several key bases in Israel's northern Galilee region. They said
the region would see also the relocation of thousands of soldiers and
officers to the Galilee.
Barak did not say whether he would agree to a full Israeli withdrawal
from the Golan Heights but aides have said that such a decision would be
demanded by Syria during the next round of negotiations scheduled to begin
on Jan. 3.
In Washington, outgoing Israeli ambassador Zalman Shoval told the Israel
Policy Forum that the next round of talks is aimed at drafting a "core
agreement." He said U.S.-Israeli strategic cooperation "may now be of
greater importance than ever. The Middle East for years to come may still be
a very dangerous neighborhood."