Don't delay attack on Saddam, urges Israel

Israel is urging President Bush not to delay a military strike against Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, an aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today.

Israeli intelligence officials have gathered evidence that Iraq is speeding up efforts to produce biological and chemical weapons, said Sharon aide Ranaan Gissin.

“Any postponement of an attack on Iraq at this stage will serve no purpose,” Gissin said. “It will only give him (Saddam) more of an opportunity to accelerate his program of weapons of mass destruction.”

Washington has been considering a military campaign against Iraq to remove Saddam from power, listing his as one of the world’s main terrorist regimes. However, there is considerable world opposition to a US strike.

Among the evidence of Iraq’s weapons building activities, Israel points to an order Saddam gave to Iraq’s Atomic Energy Commission last week to speed up its work, Gissin said.

“Saddam’s going to be able to reach a point where these weapons will be operational,” he said.

Gissin said Israel was not seeking to dictate the timing of a US military campaign but said that, faced with the threat, Saddam was fast developing weapons.

While the Israeli government backs US action against Iraq, there is also concern in Israel that in response, Iraq would launch missile attacks against Tel Aviv and other cities in Israel.

During the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq hit Israel with 39 Scud missiles – none of them with chemical or biological warheads – causing few casualties but extensive damage.

In the 1991 conflict, the United States worried it would lose Arab support if Israel retaliated for the strikes, and under heavy pressure Israel reluctantly agreed to hold back.

However, Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said today Israel would defend itself against any new attacks.

He said Israel would surely become a target during such a conflict and would consider retaliation in coordination with US forces.

“We will be one of the main targets,” he said. “What I told the Americans, and I repeat it: ’Don’t expect us to continue to live with the process of restraint. If they hit us, we reserve the right of response.”’