Iraq. The offensive has already started

American military forces have landed in Iraq, on the territory of the northern no-fly zone near the Turkish border. They want to examine the opportunities for a military campaign, Sankei Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper has informed with a reference to well-informed sources in the Pentagon.

The US special elements are to establish contacts with forces in opposition to Iraq’s president, organize the training of soldiers in Iraq’s north and south, make arrangements for the supply of weapons, etc. The USA considers Iraq’s internal opposition to be the key force in the struggle with Iraqi legal authorities. They plan to beset Baghdad from the north and south and expect to profit by subversions inside the country. Iraq is not like Afghanistan.

Reuters informs that in response, Iraqi representatives made an official statement that the country was “the central victim of global terrorism” and would fall victim to US-financed terrorist attacks. The USA has spent millions of dollars on mercenaries for the organization of diversions and acts of terrorism on Iraq’s territory. In particular, the movement in opposition to Baghdad called the “Iraqi National Council” is quite a real force already. According to some sources, it has up to 40,000 soldiers. They are stationed in the north of the country.

Iraq has sent a report to the UN Security Council informing that Baghdad has observed the majority of the international conventions on struggle with terrorism and even plans cooperate in this sphere. Moreover, Iraq’s government has taken special measures for the struggle against terrorism, as is stipulated by the Security Council’s resolutions.

However, despite the numerous protests sent to the United Nations and the UN Security Council, the organizations have already lost influence in the world. The USA is becoming more active in different spheres, including the information and propaganda front. Information agencies report that a new department has been created in the Pentagon for “public opinion forming," especially regarding the Mideast problem. The department has already developed several suggestions “for the popularization of the views of the US authorities of world’s events” by undermining the information sources of those governments that are opposed to the USA.

NATO Secretary General George Robertson may explain US’s position on Iraq as long as he wishes and say that Americans do not plan to start an "anti-terrorist" operation there, because there is no proof of any connection between Hussein’s regime and Al Qaeda militants. However, an operation has been already launched.

Sergey Yugov PRAVDA.Ru

In the photo by Reuters: the Iraqis are ready to stand up for the leader

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/02/20/37358.html