The US simply does not want any nation to have an effective defence against it, if that can be avoided. Iraq is no doubt attempting to develop weapons that would make US attempts to simply impose their will on Iraq quite costly. The US is convinced it has the power to simply replace Hussein one way or another and install a more compliant regime. By the way I understand that Kuwait is not in favor of a US attack and that Iraq has just recently made conciliatory gestures toward Kuwait. Given that the US is publicly committed to a unitary state in Iraq I can't see how they can get much support from the Kurds or even Shiites in the south who might want to join Iran.
Cheers, Ken Hanly ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sabri Oncu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "PEN-L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 5:01 PM Subject: [PEN-L:24320] RE: Re: Iraq war and the Turkish economy > This doesn't say anything about the economy but it shows how > important Turkey is to the US operation in Iraq. > Sabri > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > Former CIA chief says Iraq-Al-Qaeda links obvious > Turkish Daily News - March 25, 2002 > > Former director of the U.S. intelligence agency, the CIA, James > Woolsey said that links between the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks > and Iraq were obvious, commenting that only Turkey's support of > an operation on Iraq would be vital. > > Taking part in a CNN television program, Woolsey spoke about the > possibility of the United States opening their second stage of > the war on terrorism against Iraq. > > Woolsey drew attention to CIA Director George Tenet's remarks at > the U.S. Congress, where he referred to the links between Iraq > and the Al-Qaeda network, which was behind the Sept. 11 attacks. > > Woolsey stated that Iraq has been training terrorists on how to > hijack with knives, and that the Iraqi intelligence officials' > contacts with leading terrorist Muhammed Atta in the Czech > Republic have been confirmed by Czech intelligence. > > Woolsey indicated that there was considerable evidence to prove > the Iraq-Al-Qaeda link. > > Arguing that the United States would not need the support of any > state apart from Turkey, Woolsey said that Turkey's support was > crucial. "I think difficult negotiations will be needed," he > stated. > > "The support of Kuwait is also needed, but their support will > gradually be provided. We need the support of Britain and Saudi > Arabia, but Turkey is the key state here. Its support should be > secured. If the help of the other states cannot be secured, there > would not be significant consequences, because, for a military > strike, we just need a few U.S. infantry, which means a few good > men," Woolsey continued. > > Michael O'Hanlon of The Brookings Institute, based in Washington, > on the other hand, said that there was limited evidence of links > between Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and the Al-Qaeda. "It would > mean committing suicide for Saddam to be on close terms with the > Al-Qaeda. We don't see strong evidence, such as extensive > cooperation, financing contacts, weapons of mass destruction or > education," he said. > > Stating that Saddam knows he would be toppled in the event of any > step taken by him against the United States, O'Hanlon said that > if a serious link between Saddam and the Al-Qaeda were to be > found, the United States should "seriously" think about ousting > him. >
