Publisher's Page: A Storm Is Brewing in Kurdistan.

Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, November 2006, pages 82

Publisher's Page

A Storm Is Brewing in Kurdistan.

We couldn’t help but notice a well-funded U.S. advertising campaign promoting investment in Kurdistan. Then, on Sept. 20, the BBC-TV program “Newsnight” showed Israeli experts in northern Iraq, drilling Kurdish militias in shooting techniques. Ever since the invasion of Iraq began, both Arab and Israeli journalists have reported Israeli companies operating inside the autonomous region of Kurdistan, which borders both Syria and Iran. BBC’s exposé undoubtedly will increase tension between the Kurds and Iraq’s Arab population, both Sunnis and Shi’i, and reinforce fears that the Kurds are pursuing a secessionist agenda. Of even more importance, it will stoke fears of a wider U.S.-Israeli plan to re-draw the map of the Middle East—including possible plans to....

Attack Syria and Invade Iran.

We can’t imagine any leader would be crazy enough to launch a military attack against another nation without gaining U.N. support or weighing the consequences. But neither could we believe that the administration of President George W. Bush would carry out his threats against Iraq. After all—as we reported in these pages in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion—there was no evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Nor was Saddam Hussain, a secular leader who viewed Islamic extremists like Osama bin Laden as a threat to his regime, responsible for the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks on 9/11. The rational conclusion was that...

Bush Was Just Bluffing in Iraq.

Now that the Sept. 8 Senate Intelligence Committee report has proven the truth of those assertions, perhaps our president and his neocon advisers have been properly chastened. It looks that way for now. In his Sept. 19 address to the U.N., Bush’s words were more conciliatory than previously, perhaps signaling a diplomatic, rather than a military solution, to the standoff with Iran over its nuclear program. Having learned from experience, however, we can’t help but fear that Bush already has agreed with Israel that, before he leaves office in January 2009, there will be regime-change in Iran. This despite the fact that chaos and disaster will ensue and—perhaps as Israel wishes—decades more of regional conflict would...

Stall Mideast Peace Indefinitely.

In Lebanon, 350,000 cluster bombs litter the landscape, courtesy of its neighbor to the south. According to U.N. relief coordinator David Shearer, “The outrageous fact is that nearly all of these munitions were fired in the last three to four days of the war”—when cease-fire negotiations were well under way. Israeli soldiers also fired truckloads of phosphorous shells, which cause severe burns and a slow, painful death. This despite the fact that international law forbids weapons that cause “excessive injury and unnecessary suffering.”

But Stars Are Realigning in Europe.

Erkki Tuomioja, the fine foreign minister of Finland, which currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, will not follow U.S. leadership automatically. After witnessing the results of Israel’s debacle in Lebanon and Gaza, and the increasing bloodshed and chaos in Iraq, let’s hope that the Europeans don’t wait for the U.S. to make progress on the Israel/Palestine issue or on Iran. Already the EU has demanded that Israel release kidnapped Palestinian ministers and legislators. It also has called on the Israeli government to freeze all settlement activity, including so-called “natural growth,” and reiterated that the EU will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders other than those agreed to by both parties. That’s what we call setting a good example!

Some Far-Thinking U.S. Senators…

Are joining Arabs and Europeans to urge the Bush administration to re-engage in serious Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking and end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. When reports surfaced that Israel plans to build 690 new houses in the illegal West Bank settlements of Ma’ale Adumim and Betar Illit, Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) took a principled stand, telling Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on Sept. 7, “We should have a more balanced approach—so that both sides can see that we are an honest broker for peace.” He asked, “Is this expansion of settlement activity a signal that holding both sides to their commitments under the road map is no longer official U.S. policy?” It’s no surprise that the Israel lobby is working hard to defeat Chafee in November (see p. 32).

Look Before You Vote.

Speaking of the lobby, this issue provides the last opportunity before the Nov. 7 election to find out how much your congressional candidates have taken from pro-Israel PACs (see pp. 33-36). You’ll want to refer to the Sept./Oct. Washington Report’s “Halls of Fame and Shame” (p. 40) to see what votes that booty bought. When you make a campaign contribution or write letters to your representatives or local newspaper editor, explain your support or criticism. And don’t forget to vote!

This Issue’s Powerful Other Voices…

Contains the sizzling transcript of “The Israel Lobby and the U.S. Response to the War in Lebanon,” an Aug. 28 discussion with Profs. John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) at the National Press Club. The two respected academics discuss what has happened to them since they took on the lobby, and analyze why the U.S. turned a blind eye to Israel’s attacks on civilians in Lebanon and Gaza and blocked U.N. resolutions on behalf of the Jewish state. If you’re a regular subscriber to our 16-page supplement, you’re in luck. If you decide to subscribe to Other Voices now, we’ll start your subscription with the daring duo’s latest exposé. Those who would like to distribute this edition at community events can purchase 25 copies at a cost of $13, including postage. Single copies are available for $2.

We Thank You for Your Support.

Your donations in response to our 25th Anniversary fund-raising effort helped pay for our ads in The New York Times and the International Herald Tribune calling for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon and an end to the occupation in Palestine. As the holiday season approaches, please continue to give subscriptions and books to your friends and family. It’s thanks to our readers’ help, ideas, spirit and generosity that the Washington Report continues to spread the truth, work for peace and....