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Prepared for the
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in association with the Fairness Project by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
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To contact the Presidents Conference: [email protected]
In-Depth Issue:
How UNRWA Aids Terror - Amir Rapaport (Maariv)
A secret report prepared by the Israeli security services accuses the UN aid organization UNRWA of "aiding terror."
Allied War Games Open in Persian Gulf
Gen. Tommy Franks, the American general who would run any U.S.-led war against Iraq, arrived in Qatar to prepare for the opening of a weeklong, simulated war game.
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News Resources - North America and Europe:
Even before Iraq hands over the long-awaited declaration of its weapons and missile programs, the Bush administration is preparing to declare the nation in "material breach" of a tough UN resolution for expected omissions in the report, U.S. officials said Friday. The White House claims to have evidence that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, despite Baghdad's repeated denials. But instead of pushing immediately for military action, the administration will use the anticipated gaps to argue for more aggressive inspections and the spiriting away of Iraqi scientists who could lead inspectors to "a smoking gun." (Los Angeles Times) See also Iraq's Arms Dossier Suggestions in American news reports that the CIA had a "smoking gun" in the form of information that would immediately expose lies in the document were played down by British intelligence. (London Times) See also Iraqi Report: Gold Mine Or Minefield? (Washington Post) The U.S. will soon have enough heavy tanks, warships, aircraft, bombs, and troops in the Persian Gulf region to enable it to begin an attack against Iraq sometime in January, senior military officials say. By late next week, four aircraft carriers will be poised to strike Iraq on short notice, with a fifth in Southeast Asia ready to steam to the gulf in a crisis. The force in place by next month would be large enough to begin the "rolling start" of an offensive, but additional armored and air forces would have to be sent from Europe and the U.S. to sustain a larger attack that could mass 200,000 to 250,000 American troops. (New York Times) A slowly swelling chorus of Palestinian leaders and opinion-makers says taking up arms against Israel was a mistake and must stop. The latest voice is that of Jibril Rajoub, once the most powerful security chief in the West Bank, who says he warned Yasser Arafat 10 days after the start of the uprising that allowing armed gangs to take over would lead to disaster. ''Some of our people made terrible mistakes, and for this reason we paid a lot,'' Rajoub said. (Chicago Sun-Times/AP) "I hereby confirm what has been issued by al Qaeda political office regarding our responsibility for the Mombasa attacks in Kenya," Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, a leading al Qaeda member, said in an audio statement aired today on the Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite television channel. "The Christian-Jewish alliance will not, God willing, be safe from attacks by the mujaheddin [holy warriors]....The alliance's installations and facilities everywhere will be subject to attacks," he said. An Israeli security source said Monday the Jewish state had received intelligence that warned of plans by al Qaeda to attack Jews and Israelis in Prague. (Washington Post/Reuters) See also Kenyan Missiles Found Two missiles fired at an Israeli airliner last week were recovered by Kenyan police from a maize farm near Mombasa, police said. "One unexploded missile was recovered deep underground, while only a part of the second missile was found," said Deputy Police Commissioner William Lang. Both missiles missed their target, an Israeli plane taking off from Mombasa's international airport with 261 passengers on board. (Telegraph - UK) Administration officials say Abrams was picked for the Middle East and North Africa portfolio under Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, because a strong manager was needed and the previous director, Zalmay Khalilzad, had been preoccupied with the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Abrams's appointment thrilled those who had criticized the administration for being too tough on Israel and too deferential to the Palestinians. Associates say he is likely to side with those who say the road map pressed by Secretary Powell does not make it sufficiently clear that Arafat must be removed, and that terrorism must cease entirely, before Israel makes any irretrievable concessions on withdrawal from Palestinian territories. (New York Times) See also The Significance of the Abrams Appointment - Fred Barnes In a book, Present Dangers, published in 2000, Abrams wrote: American interests "do not lie in strengthening Palestinians at the expense of Israelis, abandoning our overall policy of supporting the expansion of democracy and human rights, or subordinating all other political and security goals to the 'success' of the Arab-Israel 'peace process.'" At the moment, the White House plans to implement the Bush guidelines from his speech last June. Among these are the easing aside of Arafat, the end of Palestinian terrorism against Israel, and reform of the PA. The Bush speech indicated these steps must be taken first, before moving on to concessions the Israelis might make. However, the position of Powell's State Department is that the Palestinians don't have to complete their required steps, only begin them. (Weekly Standard)
News Resources - Israel, the Mideast, and Asia:
Two IDF soldiers were seriously wounded when the armored personnel carrier in which they were traveling hit a roadside mine near Moshav Zar'it near the border with Lebanon on Sunday. Major-General Benny Ganz, head of the Northern Command, said, "Someone is trying to heat up this sector. We won't be able to continue without reacting for long." (Ha'aretz) The security establishment believes al Qaeda operatives in Lebanon, refugees from the American assault on Afghanistan, are working with Hizballah to send directives for operations to terrorists in Gaza. (Ha'aretz) Israel Radio, quoting the PA-affiliated Al-Ayyam newspaper, said Monday that some $500,000 in funds provided by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein would be distributed this week to families of Palestinians killed in the territories, including $25,000 each to families of three homicide bombers. Families of Palestinians who were not homicide terrorists would receive $10,000 each. (Ha'aretz)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis
(Best of U.S., UK, and Israel):
Expect nothing to come out of the continued push by the West for negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. Why? Because diplomacy has come to a dead end. Terrorism has supplanted reason and even self-interest. What is at stake now is not the shape of a future Palestinian state. It is the existence of Israel. As the Kenya outrage shows, the right of Jews everywhere to live in peace is under siege. It bewilders Israelis that so much of the world tolerates and even excuses the terrorism they face each day. It is to his everlasting credit that President Bush sees clearly the stakes of this conflict and has the courage to speak plainly about it. How can anyone continue to believe there is the slightest possibility of good-faith negotiation until the terrorism is ended? This performance standard, established by President Bush in his June 24 speech on the Middle East, must become the official position of the quartet made up of the UN, EU, Russia, and our own State Department. (U.S. News) Today Muslims must speak out boldly in defense of a dynamic, moderate Islam - an Islam that upholds the sanctity of human life, reaches out to the oppressed, respects men and women alike, and insists on the fellowship of all humankind. My father and great-grandfather believed that a peaceful, political solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict would be essential to defeating extremism and building a world of mutual acceptance and peace. (Washington Post) Razing Terrorists' Houses is an Effective Deterrent - Amos Harel (Ha'aretz)
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