>From ArabicNews.CoM American builds its biggest weapons store in Qatar Qatar, Politics, 3/8/99 Qatar put out reports that were repeated in the last year that the United States is building on Qatari territories its biggest base for storing military equipment outside the US. In a press conference held yesterday by Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jasem al-Thani with French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, the Qatari minister clearly assured these reports' credibility, declaring that the US is already building the base and that it will be a great store for American weapons. When the Qatari minister was asked about how the base may affect Qatari sovereignty and whether these weapons include prohibited weapons, he said, "Regarding the American store there are no prohibited weapons as far as I know," but he added that the Qatari people do not have enough experience to help them reveal whether there are prohibited weapons or not. Sheikh Hamad bin Jasem justified this step in military cooperation among the Gulf states and the US by saying that there was an agreement between Doha and Washington signed in February 1991, after which matters concerning Qatar's security and dealing with this military storage base were determined. The base will be completed in 18 months. Cohen seeks a plan to partition Iraq, report says United Arab Emirates, Politics, 3/8/99 The US Defense Secretary William Cohen currently making a tour of the Gulf region is attempting to obtain the support of the Gulf states for a plan to partition Iraq, a report said. AFP said that United Arab Emirates al-Khaleej daily quoted well-informed diplomatic sources in Doha as saying that Cohen is trying to convince countries of the region, especially the Gulf states, of a US plan aimed at perpetuating the independence of northern Iraq by establishing a Kurdish entity, but this entity is not to be split from Iraq but to be linked to it in a confederation that will be a starting point for the opposition against the Iraqi government. The same sources added that this plan will not deal with southern Iraq with the same logic, under the pretext that by doing so it will avail the chance for establishing an entity which would constitute a center point for Iranian influence (in reference to the Shiites of southern Iraq). The well-informed diplomatic sources did not rule out that Cohen will in his Gulf tour repropose his ideas to obtain Gulf support for the US plan aimed at toppling the government of Saddam Hussein through backing the Iraqi opposition groups. However, the Gulf states showed reservations and opposition to such a plan during the previous tour held by US Undersecretary of State Martin Indyk. >From Ha'aretz (Israel) Monday, March 8, 1999 � U.S. believes Lebanon too weak to trust �By David Makovsky and Daniel Sobelman, Ha'aretz Correspondents Senior Clinton administration officials believe there is no way Syria would permit Lebanon to divorce itself from Damascus by permitting Lebanese negotiations over an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, especially on the eve of an Israeli election. The U.S. officials believe that the Netanyahu government is wrong to view Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Al Hoss's recent comments as a favorable signal that his country would be willing to negotiate an Israeli pullout. Within 24 hours of suggesting that Lebanon may support security for Israel after a pullback, Al Hoss modified his remarks to suggest that he will not say anything beyond support for the 1949 armistice with Israel that calls for a cease-fire. A senior Clinton administration official commented on Al Hoss's relative lack of power, saying, "We don't think there is any favorable signal for Israel coming from what Al Hoss says. He is a weak politician with very little constituency in Lebanon. He has used the idea of increased government support for Hezbollah and for the village of Arnoun to strengthen himself in Lebanon. He is now not going to do the reverse, and take on Syria." At the same time, acting U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hill has told Al Hoss that Israel is unhappy with developments in the village of Arnoun, where Lebanese students last week destroyed a barbed wire fence that the Israeli army had constructed around the village, an Arabic newspaper reported yesterday. According to London-based Al Hayat, Hill told Al Hoss on Saturday that the U.S. is convinced that Lebanon must increase efforts to assure that the situation in South Lebanon does not deteriorate. Al Hayat quoted official Lebanese sources as saying that "Hill recommended delaying organizing demonstrations for freedom in occupied villages like the protest in Arnoun last week." The Americans have told various Lebanese officials that "the Israelis are likely not to show much more patience with such grass roots actions, such as occurred in Arnoun and in other villages." In recent days, there have been reports that residents of the mostly deserted village of Mlich and several other villages near Jezzine that border the Israeli security zone are planning a mass march to return to their villages. Al Hayat said that on Saturday evening, residents of the village of Mlich decided to postpone a mass procession that had been planned for yesterday. They appealed to Lebanese leaders to first clear mines in the area. Most residents left Mlich when the security zone was created. They say they will return once mines in the area are cleared. The newspaper also reported that U.S. Undersecretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Martin Indyk will go to Damascus next week for meetings with Syrian officials on ways to advance the peace process and the "possibilities that will exist after the Israeli elections." It is widely assumed that Syria wants to keep Israel in southern Lebanon in order to use it as a lever to soften Israeli opposition to holding the Golan Heights. � copyright 1999 Ha'aretz. 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