Maof

Perhaps some have forgotten about the possible give-away to Syria of the Golan Heights which protects Israel’s northern border. Be assured that Syria has not nor have some who see it as a future American base. Recall that Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak, each in his own time, negotiated the return of the Golan to Syria’s Hafez al-Assad and now his son, Bashir.

Syria has always been courted by American Arabists in the U.S. State Department among other Washington interests. Syria has always been looked upon as a spoiler to be courted just as we try to appease Saudi Arabia for its oil. But, there are interests who also want to cut a deal which would turn the Golan into a forward military base. Most military analysts do not consider this a good choice due to its being a close target for Iran, Iraq or even Syria.

It has been reported that Middle East envoy, William Burns, met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus several weeks ago. The report suggested that renewed negotiation with Israel were in the offing. The discussions, it was said, revolved around land concessions by Israel in exchange for promises of peace by Syria.

I recall former PM Barak trying to run a scam on the Israeli people and the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) by telling the nation that Syria could easily charge across the Golan, causing massive casualties to civilians and military alike, so therefore, it is important to abandon the Golan. Later, Barak continued that same philosophy as he suddenly abandoned Israel’s forward line of defense in Lebanon without any structure in place to stop Syrian-controlled Hezb’Allah terrorists from shelling Israel’s northern communities. Barak, as other radical Leftists, thought they could ‘buy peace’ by gifting the Golan to Syria for a paper agreement of peace. That document also would carry the fingerprints of the Arabist U.S. State Department. Recall that, at the time, President Clinton pledged $800 million to Barak if he closed camp and ran -as he did. President Bush decided that, as long as Israel had completed the retreat, there was no need to make good on that pledge - a comment made during the recent foreign budget hearings.

The first part of the scam would put a small contingent of American and/or U.N. peacekeeping force on the Golan. This would be putting American boys in close harm’s way and vulnerable to terrorists, Syrian and/or Iraqi military attacks. This small force, once endangered or attacked, would be followed by a larger, better armed contingent to protect the smaller force. Of course, then the American/U.N. base would have to be expanded with a full combat runway for large C130 transport aircraft plus heavy armor and ‘Voila’ - a fully operational base in the Middle East.

But, as in every political sell-out, there are winners and losers. Some get paid; some are paid in promises and even a little cash. Prime Ministers Rabin, Peres and Barak were promised that they would be compensated in several ways IF they would only come down off of the Golan Heights. Part of the U.S. promise was that they (Israel) would be treated as a full ally and allowed to play in the big game when America made its move. They were further promised additional military equipment and access to electronic surveillance as a trade for taking a vulnerable position down in the valley below the Golan Heights. 

President Clinton secretly orchestrated a peace plan for Israel and Syria that would give Syria complete control of the Golan Heights, rights to the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) plus $15 Billion in economic aid. Although PM Barak agreed to hand over all of the Heights, including the sea and fishing rights, 2 snags remained: Syria was demanding an additional several Billion dollars in arms from the U.S. beyond the $15 Billion in aid. And Barak asked Clinton to post U.S. peacekeeping forces on the border (between Syria on the Heights and Israel in the valley) for at lest 10 years.(1)

A little geography: The Golan Heights is a plateau only 9 miles wide and 47 miles long. While Israel is up there, she can literally look into the window of the Syrian military. If tanks or trucks start to move, Israel sees them instantly and can instantly defend the Golan and the rest of Israel. No sane and sovereign nation would ever consider evacuating the 18,000 citizens who live on the Golan and have made this barren moon-scape of volcanic rock into a garden of cities, towns, villages, cattle ranches and famous wineries. Not for any reason! 

Earlier estimates to re-position Israel’s military defenses in the Hula Valley below the Heights ranged from $30 to 50 Billion in new equipment to even approach equaling her current superior military position on the Heights. Even with such a massive replacement of equipment, Israel would probably not be able to stop a massive armor/missile blitzkrieg by Syria’s current military might from an inferior position down in the Hula Valley.

The Golan Heights also sits on top of an underground aquifer that is a (one third) of Israel’s fresh water resource and supplies Lake Kinneret, Israel’s only fresh water lake. If under hostile or careless control, that surface water runoff can be stopped up and/or polluted by sewage and toxic waste. Several times Syria has tried to build coffer dams to stop the sources of the streams which flow into the Jordan River and Lake Kinneret.

A little history: Syria has attacked Israel with a full scale war three times from the Golan Heights. During Syria’s surprise attack on Israel Yom Kippur 1973, Syrian troops almost broke through and it was only by great bravery and with stunning losses that Israel was able to push the Syrian Army back. No sane and sovereign nation would ever consider giving up such a national protective shield. Before they were Prime Ministers both Rabin and Barak swore that anyone who gave up the Golan Heights would endanger the State of Israel. As former Generals, that was a strategic as well as a political statement. What changed them while they were in power?

Syria was also to receive generous military gifts from the U.S. for ‘making peace’ in order to ‘receive’ the Golan. If Israel would agree to give up the Golan down to the Kinneret, Israel’s ‘gesture’ and Syria’s ‘peace paper’ would allow the Arabist State Department and other Arabist interests in Washington to take Syria off of the U.S. State’s List of Terrorist Nations. 

Once off this list, Syria could be sold weapons (read: gifted), using the same formula we have with Egypt since 1979's Camp David Accords were signed between President Anwar Sadat and Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Egypt got all the Sinai, oil fields that Israel discovered and developed, hi tech military bases and terrific infrastructure worth $17 Billion. Plus, Egypt could now sell Israel oil that Israel formerly had for herself. Israel received a cold peace and now that Egypt is fully re-armed with American weapons it makes serious threats about the next war.

Egypt has been gifted $2 Billion a year for 24 years, which totals approximately $48 Billion in armaments - with more to be delivered soon. The U.S. military conducts regular bi-national exercises with Egypt, called "Bright Star", training the Egyptians to use this hi tech equipment. Through former Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger, Egypt was given a turn-key factory for America’s main battle tank, the M1A1 Abrams. When the Egyptians couldn’t build the tanks, the Americans sent them pre-assembled components which were then assembled with American technicians’ supervision. But, because the tanks were built in Egypt, they were not considered a sale and, therefore, subject to Congressional oversight. No doubt, Syria would be accorded the same generosity with the American public unknowingly paying the bill.

Syria would have to receive a similar amount in free weapons. So, who pays for this largess and who receives the money? You, the American citizens pay out of your taxes and the monies go to the U.S. weapons’ industry which is part of the lobbying mechanism who are pressing to have Syria taken off of the State Department’s List of Terrorist Nations. Some of these profits also flow back to Congressional and Presidential candidates as political contributions. Perhaps you recall the foreign donations funneled to the Clintons’ campaigns from China and other Asian countries. In this case, the contributions would come from grateful weapons’ industry executive directly and from subcontractor suppliers indirectly. 

Will Prime Minister Ariel (Arik) Sharon be as gullible as Rabin, Peres and Barak? He was, after all, reported to be one of Israel’s best generals - with a great talent for long-range vision. Is he presently involved in secret negotiations with Syria to abandon the Golan, along with Israel’s security on her northern flank and key water resources? 

Reports coming in tell us that Shimon Peres expresses doubt about starting re-negotiations where Barak left off. In Peres-Speak that means he is already deep into one of his infamous double-crosses of the Israeli people. His comments of disinterest are a sure indication that he has been conspiring with the Arabist State Department to force Israel off of the Golan. (2)

It is time for those who do not trust government politicians and promises to start asking questions again. Somehow, I smell the malodorous stink of another Oslo in the works! The last thing Israel wants are body bags with American soldiers coming back from the Golan Heights. The spurious claim will be that "they died protecting the Jews of Israel". All of the self-interest, vested interest motivation will be hidden from the general public.

                 FAILURE OF AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES

When 9/11 happened, the Arabs and the Arabists in their lobbying organizations, in the media and in the government, tried to deflect righteous American anger and outrage with stories that it wasn’t Muslims but Jews who hijacked 4 planes to attack the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and another primary target. As Saudi Arabia was exposed as the true financial backer of the terrorist organizations, especially Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda, damage control stories began to appear that Israel knew that the attack was to occur and didn’t alert America. That lie was leaked to FOX NEWS who broadcast the story without checking the information - unless (like CNN frequently does) they agreed to be another mouthpiece for the State Department.

The FOX NEWS reporter, Carl Cameron who told the lie over 4 days of broadcasts was even asked by Brit Hume (alerted by several writers including this one) if it was true that Israel’s Mossad had sent two agents before 9/11 to the CIA and the FBI to alert them about an expected attack. Cameron had to admit that this was true and even broadcast September 14th on FOX NEWS. He qualified his lie by saying that the information from the Mossad was ‘insufficient and did not have the details’. So the Israeli warnings were ignored. 

It was remarkable that American Intelligence Agencies had the names, places of departure, safe houses, phone records, etc. of the 19 terrorists within a very few days after 9/11. In other words, if they were paying attention in the first place, if they had listened to the Israeli warnings and then intensified their capabilities before the attacks instead of after - perhaps - they might have caught the terrorists before their acts. With that embarrassment to our Intel and State Department who allowed in the sleeper agents, a campaign of disinformation was launched.

                  AMERICAN BOYS IN HARM’S WAY ON THE GOLAN

Guess what will happen if American troops up on the Golan Heights (who Israel does not want or need to protect them) is attacked by Syria or the terror groups like Hezb’Allah that Syria and Iran sponsor. Imagine if some were kidnaped by the Muslim terrorists, as were Col. Bill Higgins and William Buckley (CIA Station Chief in Lebanon) who were caught and tortured to death by these Muslim terror groups in Lebanon but supported by Syria and Iran. Somehow, the Arabists and the Arabs would start a PR campaign to blame the Israelis and the biased media would simply repeat the accusations - as they have in the past. 

American troops are not needed nor wanted by Israel for her protection on the Golan. The Israelis always said: "Our own soldiers will fight our battles. We want no one to die for us."

I think the dirty deal is again in the hopper, pushed into the Oval Office by former President George Herbert Walker Bush, James Baker, the Arabist State Department, the military/industrial complex and, of course, the ever-present multi-national oil maggots. This was their former program put down by Congressional objections and now dusted off to be hooked onto the theme of fighting Global Terrorism.

In 1994, I can tell you that by alerting Congress with some of this vital information, we, with other activists, were able to stop negotiations to turn the Golan over to Syria. This was actually bitterly proclaimed by Martin Indyk, Ambassador to Israel and Itamar Rabinovich at a December 22, 1994 State Department briefing. It was reported that Indyk started the meeting by waving the Global News Report (by Professor Murray Kahl) with the Gaffney (Frank Gaffney, Head of the Center for Security Policy) and Winston list of coming tricks, and said that it was a lie...all lies. (3)

In the past year, the Golan issue has been purposefully quiet so as to slip beneath our radar screens - but - it has not gone away. But now that President George W. Bush has declared war against terror wherever it is, the idea of an American base on the Golan is very seductive to the power movers and shakers in Washington. 

If Israel is so weakened by losing such critical height, strategic depth and water, she becomes susceptible to attack by Syria, Iraq, Iran, ‘et al’. Aside from the danger this causes Israel, any western forces up there are at risk. This would heat up the whole Middle East at a time when America’s military resources are stretched thin while trying to root out terror organizations and to protect civilians in those countries which America wishes to protect.

The costs are also critical. In the November 15,1999 U.S. DEFENSE NEWS estimated that it would cost America $80 Billion to replace Israel’s defensive position on the Golan which protects Israel and the interests of the Free Western world. While Israel is up on the Golan, she is strong. While she is strong, Israel is a major strategic asset which has been called equal to an American aircraft carrier with its supporting forces. (4)

It is up to those of us who grasp these issues to point out the dangers to Israel and the whole Middle East from taking Israel off of the Golan and installing an American base that would be so intrinsically vulnerable. 

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1. "Prez Opens U.S. Coffers in Bid for Golan Peace" by Uri Dan NEW YORK POST Feb. 23, 2000

2. " Peres Skeptical About Syria Talks" by Herb Keinon JERUSALEM POST Jan. 1, 2002

3. "$5 Billion Bribe for Israel to Abandon the Golan Heights" by Emanuel A. Winston THE MIDWEST JEWISH WEEK January 1995

4. "Cost of Israeli-Syrian Accord Could Top $80 Billion" by Barbara Opall-Rome U.S. DEFENSE NEWS November 15, 1999

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