Foreign Affairs News
     Source: Middle East Newsline
     Published: 12/5/00 Author: Steve Rodan
     Posted on 12/05/2000 12:15:12 PST by Antiwar Republican

For the first time, Iran and Iraq are shelving their differences and have launched military cooperation against
Israel.

Israeli military sources said the two longtime foes are now cooperating in ensuring that Iranian missiles, weapons
and other supplies arrive to Teheran's ally Hizbullah. They said that Hizbullah -- encouraged by Iran and Syria --
has renewed sporadic attacks along Israel's northern border.

The sources said Baghdad has allowed Iranian planes to transport weapons through Iraqi air space. The approval
was granted after Turkey twice intercepted Iranian planes with weapons and Katyusha rockets for Hizbullah. The
last interception was reported in early November.

The Iranian flights are now arriving directly to Beirut airport, the sources said. But they added that Iraq is not the
only route used by Iranian planes carrying weapons to Hizbullah. They said Turkey remains an option.

"There is more than one way that Iran can send Katyusha rockets to Lebanon -- not necessarily through Iraq," a
senior military source said.

The military cooperation between Iran and Iraq was arranged by Syria. The sources said a breakthrough in the
Iraqi-Syrian reconciliation effort -- which began in 1997 -- was achieved over the last two months by new
President Bashar Assad.

Israel has raised the Iranian-Iraqi-Syrian cooperation with the Clinton administration. Officials said the White
House -- operating in a political vacuum in wake of the still inconclusive presidential election last month -- has
withheld action and will leave any decisions to a successor administration. They said the administration is shying
away from any significant support of Israel amid concern that this would further erode the U.S. position in the
Middle East.

Israeli analysts said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is the linchpin in the new three-way cooperation. They said
Saddam has been emboldened by soaring oil prices and a successful effort to erode Iraq's isolation. Saddam, who
has reportedly honored his threat to end oil exports, is said to believe that a war with Israel would shatter
international sanctions against Baghdad.