The head of Israeli military intelligence said on Saturday that no Iraqi missiles were so far positioned within striking distance of Israel and there were no signs of likely deployment soon.
Interviewed on Israeli television, Major General Aharon Zeevi-Farkash said that if missiles are moved into western Iraq, from where Scud missiles were launched at Israel in the 1991 Gulf War, he expects United States forces to take them out.
”They will need to organise in such a way that prevents the Iraqis bringing forces to western Iraq that will threaten Israel,” Farkash said.
He said that he did not expect Saddam Hussein to use missiles against Israel at the start of an American offensive to depose the Iraqi ruler, but said that Saddam might use rockets or aircraft to deliver chemical or biological weapons if he feels cornered.
”If Saddam Hussein reaches a stage where he feels threatened and that he is losing his control, he will want to carry out an action that will pull the Arab world to his side,” Farkash said.
”Only under those circumstances should we assume that at the end of the day the Iraqis will act against us.”
Israeli leaders have repeatedly said that they reserve the right to respond if Iraq attacks it but acknowledge that Washington wants them to maintain a low profile over a possible US operation, in order not to stiffen Arab opposition to such a move.
A White House official said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would fly to Washington in mid-October for talks with President George Bush. Israeli media said the two leaders would discuss America’s Iraq plans and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In Saturday’s interview, Farkash contradicted Sharon and other Israeli officials who say that Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority is doing nothing to stop Palestinian attacks into Israeli towns and cities.
He said Arafat’s Fatah movement and its affiliated Tanzim militia were not carrying out attacks beyond the West Bank and Gaza Strip, occupied by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War, and were pressuring Palestinian militant groups to follow their example.
”Not only are Fatah and the Tanzim not doing this,” Farkash said.
”Senior people in the Palestinian Authority are starting to take up the issue with Hamas and Islamic Jihad to stop their operations.”
In an interview with the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat, published on Saturday, Arafat said Palestinians must abide by their leadership’s ban on shootings and bombings within Israel.
”We are the ones who decide as a leadership,” Arafat said.
”Neither my military honour nor our Islamic religion accept the killing of a woman in the street or at a cafe, or a civilian man or a child, or in a university.” – Sapa-AP