-Caveat Lector-
Of course, another way to look is from the optimistic perspective. Why are
Americans expected to be in charge of the world. One comment I heard after
the decline and fall of the Wall was there were no more clear-cut or
well-defined "enemies" any longer. What effect has the reduction of the
DoD budget had on the economy? On the military? I read recently where the
services are having recruitment and retention problems. Time for a
"bogey-man" for the New Millenium? The old adage of good fences making
good neighbours may have some relationship to the Wall and the divisions
represented by it.
The Soviets may be making a come-back (looking at some of the current
leaders). The CIA is in Israel (Wye ?). And this whole Arabian Nightmare
is still referred to as being the "original" policy put in place back in
aught-91.
I also tend to lean toward the "oil" question: Baker (or some Bush-ite)
was quoted back then as saying the whole deal was about oil. The Caspian
oil fields are being developed and now they're looking for an outlet,
Turkey or Iran. Turkey just had a spat with the Syrians about the Kurds
which are being spanked by the Turks in Iraq as well. Iran wants the
Iraqis neuter-alised as well. Either way, to get the oil out of the
one-time Soviet republic through Turkey or Iran without restriction, they
have to have a nice, pleasant, docile neighbour. Enter Bush (Jr)?
>From another discussion / post and the news agencies identified:
Iranian in London urges exiled Iraqis to unite
By Paul Taylor
LONDON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - An Iranian official met Iraqi opposition leaders
in London this week and urged them not to miss the opportunity to unite
against President Saddam Hussein, participants said on Friday.
Ali Agha Mohammadi also met British Foreign Office Minister Derek Fatchett,
who has himself been trying to unite the Iraqi opposition, diplomats said.
The Iranian Embassy said Mohammadi was deputy head of political affairs at
Iranian radio and television, but Iraqi exiles said he was also a key
adviser on Iraq to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
``He heads the committee in Iran that liaises with the Iraqi opposition,''
one source said.
Mohammadi met Fatchett briefly on Thursday, the day Britain joined the
United States in air strikes on Iraq, and made no criticism of the bombing,
a British official said.
At a meeting with representatives of several groups the previous night,
just as the first U.S. cruise missiles were hitting Baghdad, Mohammadi said
Tehran was keen to see Iraqis unite but had no ambition to dominate the
Iraqi opposition.
``He said we should not miss the opportunity to do the right thing at the
right time,'' said Hamid al-Bayati of the Supreme Council of the Islamic
Resistance in Iraq (SCIRI).
SCIRI and another, more radical Shi'ite Moslem opposition group, al-Dawwa,
are based in Iran.
Another participant who asked not to be identified said Mohammadi had noted
an undoubted change of U.S. attitude towards Iraq, saying the
administration now seemed to be serious about getting rid of Saddam.
He quoted the Iranian official as saying Washington had experience in
confronting the Iraqi regime and its intelligence understood what Baghdad
was doing.
``The timing of this visit is significant and no coincidence,'' the
participant said.
Washington and London have openly declared their desire to see Saddam
replaced. U.S. and British junior ministers met opposition groups last
month to urge them to forge a more united, credible front.
The United States has recently encouraged Iran publicly to assist the Iraqi
opposition, although U.S. officials have in the past been extremely wary of
Tehran-based Iraqi Shi'ite groups.
Patrick Clawson, director of studies at the Washington Institute for Near
East Policy, said he had been involved in inviting the leader of the
moderate Shi'ite opposition, Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim, to visit Washington.
Hakim had been offered a meeting with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
but had held out for an invitation to the White House, Clawson said.
In an interview with the Iran News daily published three weeks ago, Hakim
said that while outside forces could help redress the imbalance between
Saddam and the opposition, he was against any overt U.S. role in
overthrowing the Iraqi ruler.
And from Associated Press:
<<This story is important because the U.S. want to route Caspian oil
(reportedly the LARGEST reserves in the world) through Turkey, just north
of the border with Syria. But Syria is feuding with Turkey; Iraq (also on
the border with Turkey) needs continued neutralisation (as in "neutering")
and resolution of the Kurd problem involves redirecting them BACK into
Iraq. The whole story on Caspian oil can be found @ the Wash (DC) Post.>>
Thursday December 17 2:33 AM ET
Iran Said To Be Best Asia Oil Route
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - President Mohammad Khatami says Iran is likely to
emerge as the main route for Central Asian oil and gas, despite U.S.
efforts to seek alternate routes.
The official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted him Wednesday as saying
that European countries were seeking the best route and were unlikely to be
swayed by the United States.
The United States has discouraged foreign spending in Iran's energy
industry, and encouraged investments in Central Asia that seek to channel
crude fuel by routes other than through Iran.
The United States severed diplomatic ties with Iran after Islamic militants
took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran shortly after the 1979 revolution. The
State Department today lists Iran as a sponsor of terrorism.
Yet energy experts say Iran is the most economical and viable outlet for
oil and gas from Central Asia.
``Despite all the efforts by the United States and the Zionists to prevent
transfer of the Central Asian energy to Europe and to open waters through
Iran, I am of the belief that Iran would be the route for transfer of the
energy,'' Khatami told Oil Ministry officials.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A<>E<>R
The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust
----------
: From: Gerry Forbes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
: To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
: Subject: Re: [CTRL] Iraq: Attack of the Hormones?
: Date: Thursday, December 24, 1998 12:13 AM
:
: It's also interesting to consider the consequences of the recent
: fireworks and ponder whether they were intended or not. Saddam now has a
: *greater* opportunity to build "weapons of mass destruction" since it
will
: now be difficult for the U.S. to get world support to force Iraq to admit
: inspectors. Maybe there wasn't enough terrorism in the world? Russia is
: making noises about re-arming, China has cracked down on democracy
activists;
: all in all America has lost its "moral authority" which may give despots
: everywhere the opportunity to eliminate nuisances without fear of
reprisals.
:
: Something to consider, anyway.
:
: Gerry
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