1 - 7 August 2002 Issue No. 597 Editorial	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

Support not for sale

The United States and Britain are preparing the ground for a massive attack against Iraq, ostensibly to topple President Saddam Hussein. With a different war scenario being leaked nearly every day by Pentagon sources to US and British newspapers, the question now is not whether the attack will take place, but when.

Among the different scenarios posited are Afghanistan and Kosovo-like heavy air bombardment for weeks accompanied by a small invasion force of 5,000 soldiers; deploying 250,000 US troops supported by 25,000 British soldiers to launch a massive ground invasion from countries neighbouring Iraq; a smaller force of 50,000 troops that would launch a surprise attack deep inside Iraq; and the latest Pentagon leak -- "Baghdad-first" -- a surprise attack launched against the Iraqi capital intended to eliminate all central command centres, paralyse the regime and topple it within days.

None of the war scenarios yet prepared by the US and Britain, though, takes into consideration the impact on the Iraqi population, nor on stability and security in the region. And most military experts agree that any US attack against Iraq, whether in weeks or in months, can only see further disintegration in the already perilous regional situation.

Washington's unquestioning support of Israel's attacks against Palestinians has left Arabs frustrated and public opinion in no mood to accept a massive US attack against Iraq. Following Israel's 29 March reoccupation of the West Bank Arab -- as well as European -- capitals witnessed massive protests. The public mood would be further inflamed by an all-out attack on Iraq.

To provide Palestinians with a verbal promise to establish a state in three years is not going to buy Arab support for an onslaught against Iraq. Anyone who believes it can is deluding himself.

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