Iraq will attack Israel if US threatens Saddam: Israeli intelligence

AFP | 10/16/01

[kattracks]

JERUSALEM, Oct 16 (AFP) - Iraq will strike Israel if the United States threatens Saddam Hussein, head of Israeli intelligence General Amos Malkha said Tuesday.

The Iraqi president "will attack Israel if he feels the United States is threatening his control of Iraq," Malkha told the parliamentary foreign and defence committee, Israeli television reported.

The statement follows growing Israeli expectations of a US attack on the Arab country, but Washington has promised to warn Israel before any such action.

The United States plans to expand its war on terror beyond Afghanistan and is closely monitoring Iraq, US National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice said Tuesday.

The United States was "worried" by Saddam's attempts to reconstitute his mass destruction weapons capability, Rice said in an interview with Qatar's Al-Jazeera television.

"There is no doubt that Iraq is in the sights of the United States and sooner or later the Americans will take this country on, but for the moment we are in the dark and we have to wait," Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Dalia Rabin-Pelossof said last week.

Washington has warned Iraq not to exploit the crisis over Afghanistan and threaten its neighbours or ethnic minorities with weapons of mass destruction.

Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer also said last week the country was ready should the United States broaden its attacks against the perpetrators of the September 11 terror strikes to include Iraq.

"We do not take any risks and we have taken into account the possibility that the war will spread to Iraq, and this time we are well prepared because we have drawn all the right conclusions," Ben Eliezer said.

He was referring to the 1991 Gulf War over Kuwait when Iraq fired 39 Scud missiles at Israeli territory, killing two and leaving dozens injured as hundreds of houses were damaged in the Tel Aviv region.

Under intense pressure from the United States, which led a coalition including Arab states in evicting Iraqi occupation forces from Kuwait, Israel refrained from retaliating to the strikes.

[kjam22]

I'm just getting tired of messing with these guys. Tired of the politics. I want to know.... If we quick strike nuke Mecca, Baghdad, Tehran, Damascus, and Kabul..... will my 401K go up or down?

[chimera]

Saddam would be signing his own death warrant. Unlike some countries, the Israelis are not shy about eliminating those who threaten them and do them harm. If the Mossad doesn't blow his head off with a cell phone bomb, the Israeli military is fully capabale of wiping Bagdad, and probably the whole of Iraq, off the face of the Earth.

[optiguy]

The United States plans to expand its war on terror beyond Afghanistan and is closely monitoring Iraq, US National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice said Tuesday.

I wonder if the Israelis will exercise the same amount of restraint this time as they did in the Gulf war. Kinda tough when you see your neighbor firing missles at you.

[Timesink]

Bring it on, Saddam. I'll put it in Islamic terms: What the father began, THE SON SHALL FINISH.

[RoughDobermann]

I say let the Israelis take on Iraq now. Why not? What are their enemies going to do? Declare war on Israel? Refuse to acknowledge her right to exist? Begin terrorist attacks against her people...?

[HEFFERNAN2]

You won't have to worry about your 401K...you can just bend over and kiss your *ss goodbye because the end of the world will have occurred. Semper Fi, Mike

[a_witness]

I wonder if the Israelis will exercise the same amount of restraint this time as they did in the Gulf war.

No, the entire Islamic world will leave the coalition anyway. Israel will defend herself as G-d defends her.

[Anamensis]

. I want to know.... If we quick strike nuke Mecca, Baghdad, Tehran, Damascus, and Kabul..... will my 401K go up or down?

Let's get Medina and Riyadh too. Those Saudis are no friends of ours.

[HEFFERNAN2]

These Iraqis are almost as dumb as the Afghanis...must be too must exposure to the sun or something. They get their clocks cleaned by us in '91 and you would think the last thing they want is to have it happen again...geez these morons don't have the brains God gave a jackass. Semper Fi, Mike

[kjam22]

I agree... I think we give them to much credit.

[madrussian]

Israeli intelligence and Joe Lieberman agree: America must eliminate Saddam.

[StoneColdGOP]

If he feels threatened???

Okay Saddam, just start now so we can get it over with, then. Bring it on! We and Israel are ready for you!

[Zeteo]

If Iraq even trys to attack Israel - Iraq will become Israel's nuclear test site - this is Israel policy - "if you attack us - then you will be nuked!"

[Dog Gone]

That's fine. When we take on Iraq, it will be fun to have Israel dropping a few bombs, too.

Iraq is going down, and Israel might as well be ready to engage in the first strike. Incapacitation is important if Israeli cities are to be spared.

[Sabertooth]

Any downside here?

[My Favorite Headache]

Oh Saddam...lololol...you are such a fool.We are coming regardless of your threats or not.Just let us finish up some business in Afghanistan then we will be there.

[evangmlw]

Now -- I like dat!

[veronica]

Go ahead (Saddam) - make Israel's day.

[6ppc]

He just doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut, does he!