War With Iraq - The Real Winner
By F. L. Blanchard
While the United States and the world are preoccupied with Sadaam
Hussein and Kim Jung Il, the Israelis continue their methodical and never ending
persecution of the Palestinians. Of all the allies who have spoken in support of our
efforts to oust the Iraqi leader, Israel has been most silent. They have however
quietly, sought material aid to defend themselves in the pending war, but not to actively
support the effort. This silence speaks volumes about Israel’s present and
future motives.
For the present, our preoccupation with Iraq and our concern over the
nuclear program of North Korea has allowed the endemic and systematic arrest and
elimination of Palestinian activists and their supporters. As with Iraq, this is in
continuing and deliberate violation of United Nations resolutions and the Geneva
Conventions. Given its true intent, it must be given its proper identification,
namely the Palestinian Holocaust. Given that war is imminent and will likely not
last but a few months, if that, and a year before the dust settles, Israel has but a short
time before the shadow is lifted and their genocide is again exposed. But, the
shrewd Israelis are looking to the long term and the defeat of Iraq fits nicely into their
plans for expansion. Given the complicit and pliable U. S. administration, whether
Republican or Democrat, Israel is assured of continued support in Washington.
The defeat of Iraq removes a dangerous threat to Israel and U. S.
occupation of Iraq provides the solution to its Palestinian problem and the obstacle to
its further expansion. Jordan presents an obstacle to this plan, but given a desire
for Middle East peace what is another little country. Under the hegemony of the U.
S. and hence the influence of Israel, Jordan, and perhaps a piece of western Iraq, could
become the Palestinian homeland. The solution would be a compromise and sweetening
the outcome for all parties is that other commodity Iraq possesses besides oil, that is
water.
More than oil, Israel needs water to grow and expand. The Tigris
and Euphrates rivers provide a steady and reliable supply. A pipeline to divert a
portion of the flow would constitute a feasible and quickly executed project. The
reclamation of a portion of the Syrian Desert would also enhance the potential for the
relocation of Israel’s Palestinian population. The latter is the biggest
stumbling block to any Israeli concessions, if they were ever going to make any. In
our strong desire for peace not only could the United States be talked into such a scheme,
but also we would probably be first in line to pay for it.
This may be a far-fetched and contrived analysis, but if one thinks
long term, isn’t it the kind of outcome the Israelis want to achieve. There are
still considerations of the fate of Jerusalem and whether Palestine becomes a state or is
absorbed into Jordan. This area has been in turmoil for centuries, mostly because
outsiders have imposed its structure. Perhaps we could have avoided the problem if
we had heeded the advice given in the King-Crane report after World War I.
Courtesy of and © 2003 by F. L. Blanchard, Ph.D. Dr. Blanchard
lived and worked in the Middle East and was a A 20 year resident of Iraq, Iran and Saudi
Arabia. |