MIM Notes 184 April 15, 1999

Amerika peddles Weapons of Mass Destruction to imperialism's
allies in the Middle East

On March 12, Secretary of Defense William Cohen returned to
Amerika after an 8 day trip to the Middle East peddling weapons of
mass destruction. Cohen met with leaders of six Persian Gulf
states plus Jordan and Egypt. While the neo-colonial leaders of
the Middle East were eager to buy these weapons, they weren't
willing to be seen in public with Cohen.(1) These leaders didn't
want to antagonize their Amerika master by criticizing the U.$.
genocide against Iraq in front of Cohen, but couldn't risk the
wrath of their people by appearing with Cohen and remaining silent
on the matter.

The one exception was Qatar, where Foreign Minister Hamad bin
Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani meekly criticized Amerika: "I cannot say
we support the daily" attacks in the no-fly zones. But Arab
journalists in Qatar gave Cohen even greater trouble, exposing the
lie that the no-fly zones in Iraq are mandated by the United
Nations.

Question: "Iraq says that there is no U.N. resolution behind
imposing the no-fly zone over its North and South. Can you name
that resolution and what it says?"

Check out Cohen's slippery answer: "The United States and Great
Britain - and indeed the French, up until recently - have in fact,
since 1991, been enforcing a no-fly zone in order to protect the
Iraqi people, both in the North and the South, as well as the
neighbors in the region. We will continue to enforce the no-fly
zones, as we have in the past."

Cohen couldn't answer the question because there is no U.N.
resolution endorsing Amerikan occupation of Iraqi airspace.

The no-fly zones are not in the Gulf War cease-fire agreement,
either. What is in that imperialist document is a promise to work
towards DISARMING the entire Middle East, including Iraq. But the
reality is that Amerika demands that only Iraq disarm while it
sells arms to almost every other nation in the region. Amerikan
claims to desire regional peace are totally hollow.

The journalists in Qatar and other countries also criticized (if
politely) Cohen for what he is - an arms merchant and master
propagandist for Amerika. Cohen travels to the region regularly to
hype the "danger" from Iraq and Iran, and offers to share
"intelligence" about the military capabilities of these countries.
Then when the neo-colonial lackey leaders "ask" to buy weapons,
Cohen is only too happy to set up the multi-billion dollar deals.
And if that's not enough, Cohen's fear-mongering serves as a
justification for extended and increased U.$. military presence in
the Persian Gulf.

Egypt purchased 24 of the latest model F-16 fighter, a Patriot
Missile battery and 200 new heavy tanks, for a price of $3.2
billion. Egypt will pay the bill with it's annual $1.2 billion
allotment of u.$. military aid.(1)

Jordan got (for free) $200 million in weapons to "solidify the
strong ties between Jordan and the u.s."(3) Amerika no doubt wants
to buy the complete loyalty of Jordan's new king so as to most
efficiently oppress the Jordanian and Palestinian peoples.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) bought air-
to-air missiles, and the UAE also bought F-16 planes.(4)

Such sales provide a number of reactionary pluses for Amerika:

1. Pumps up the Amerikan economy

2. Ensures that the neo-colony will stay under Amerikan control
for the long term, as Amerika is required for maintenance of these
high-tech weapons.

3. Keeps Third World nations focused on their conflicts with their
neighbors and not on the need to become self-reliant, and defeat
imperialism and take control of their own resources.

Amerika may own the neo-colonial leaders of the Middle East, but
it doesn't own the people of the region. And it is their destiny
to take back their nations from imperialism.

U.$. out of the Middle East!

Note:
1. Boston Globe 3 12 99 p. A11
2. DoD News Briefing March 9, 1999 Secretary of Defense William S.
Cohen and Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar1999/t03101999_t0309qtr.html
3. Boston Globe 3/11/99 p. A11
4. Boston Globe 3/13/99 p. A16