Bulletin de liaison etd'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Baszn Özeti
The PKK took arms in 1984 for self rule in the country's predominantly Kurdish southeast, but changed track after
its leader Abdullah Ocalan was captured and sentenced to de'ath in 1999. The armed conflict between the PKK and
Turkish troops has cost more than 30,000 lives. Turkish officials dub the PKK's overtures as a move to save Ocalan
from execution ..
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US Promises Israel Four or Five Days Notice Ahead of Attacking Iraq.'
Jerusalem Report February 25,2002 by Leslie Susser and Jerusalem Report staff
The US has promised Israel "at least four or five days" advance warning, ahead of its anticipated attack on Iraq's
Saddam Husayn. The widespread asseSSment is that Sadd am will try to strike at Israel if he feels his regime is in danger.
The US-led assault will begin in "maybe three, maybe sixmonths." The Report has been told by sources privy
to top-level discussion involving American and Israeli officials. The Americans believe Saddam will fall relatively
quickly, with many of his generals sobered by the success of the US assault on the Taliban in Afghanistan, abandoning
him. Eleven years ago, Israel was informed only hours ahead of the start of American bombing.of Iraq in.the
Gulf War, on January 16, and was hit by Iraqi Scuds just two days later.
Israeli officials believe Saddam may have chemical biological weapons, and are certain hehas the Scud missiles
capable of delivering such warheads against Israel. Although the Patriot anti-missile system is much improved since
the Gulf War -- when it failed to intercept the 39 Scuds Saddam fired at Israel-- and the Israeli-Ameriqm Arrow missile
defense system should be capable of intercepting Scuds, officials do not feelthat they cari.fully rely on such
defense systems. Israel would hardly be able to begin a large-scale inoculation or gas-mask distribution effort days
before the US launched its attack, however, since this would obviously alert Saddam. Therefore, Israeli officials are
said to be contemplating sending forces into western Iraq as soon as the US begins bombing, to try and thwart any
Scud missile launch at source. In their discussions, Israeli officials have asked th~t the US tacitly support such an
action.
Israel had hoped that the next phase of the US anti-terror struggle would focus on Iran. ,In the annual~ational intelligence
assessment recently presented to the prime minister, the heads of the security services and army intelligence
cited Iran as the main strategic threat to Israel. There is, nevertheless, firm support in Israel for an American-led
assault on Saddam; coordinating arrangements for the attack was a key, if unpublicized, reasonfor President Bush's
invitation to Prime Minister Sharon for talks at the White House on February 7.
According to the Israeli intelligence assessment, Iran is trying to set up a branch of Hizballah to act directly from the
territories against Israel. The supply of Iranian weapons to the PA aboard the Karine A arms ship was part of a new
Iranian strategy to create a double front against Israel, with the Lebanese Hizballal;\ threatening Israeli population
centers form the north, and the Palestinians doing so from Gaza and the West Bank, both with Iranian-supplied rockets.
Sharon is urging the American administration to exert pressure on Syria not to allow the resumption of direct
flights from Teheran to Damascus, which could be used to fly in huge consignments of weapons for Hizballah in
Lebanon.
Based on the intelligence assessment, David Magen, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense committee,
wants the government to hold a full-scale strategic review and to shift the main security focus from the
Palestinians to Iran. What mostcancerns Israel,:he says, is Iran's nuclear program, especially in light of former president
Ali Rafsanjani's December 14 statement that Iran's aim is to destroy Israel and that it can do it "with one
nuclear bomb." Says Magen: "Iran has chemical and biological weapons, is making a supreme effort to get nuclear
weapons and encourages terror. That is the main threat. We must deal with it."
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Iraq, Iran Criticize 'Axis of Evil' Policy
Voice of America By Amberin Zaman 12 Feb 2002
The U.S. campaign against global terrorism came under attack during the first qayof a conferenc~ between European
and Islamic foreign ministers in Istanbul. Most of the criticism came from Iraq and Iran, two of the coun.tries recently
named by President Bush as part of the axis of evil in the world.
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