|
Trending Topics
|
IDF: Iraq Won't Attack Before U.S. Offensive - Gideon Alon
(Ha'aretz) Major General Aharon Ze'evi, the head of Military Intelligence, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday: It is highly unlikely that Iraq will launch a non-conventional weapons attack against Israel prior to an American offensive, as this would expose capabilities that Iraq has vehemently denied. Hizballah is expected to keep a low profile during a U.S.-led war in Iraq, fearing that Israel might exploit the opportunity to attack Hizballah rocket and missile positions in southern Lebanon. On the Palestinian front, terror organizations are continuing their efforts to carry out attacks and Israeli security forces are successfully thwarting terror attacks on a daily basis. A successful U.S.-led campaign in Iraq would make it easier to resume negotiations with the Palestinians because it would strengthen pragmatic elements in the Arab world against fundamentalists. The Bush administration agreed to some of Israel's requests for revisions in the "road map" for a Palestinian-Israeli accord, including making the resumption of negotiations conditional on a complete cessation of violence and changes in the PA's leadership. (Ha'aretz)