From Monica Lewinsky to the USS Cole: Dont Rule Out Israel [Archives:2000/42/Focus]

COMMON SENSE
By: Hassan Al-Haifi
Anyone who has a good perception of the history of the Middle East problem, is bound to be intrigued by the sophistication of Israeli intelligence and clandestine activities to support the Zionist cause by any means, as long as the targeted goals thereof are achieved. While the connection of the Mosad to the latest tragedy that unfolded in the Gulf of Aden may seem far-fetched, if not preposterous, as the Israelis are bound to state, it would seem that it would be just as far fetched to believe that there is any terrorist Arab organization, particularly Yemeni organization, or entity that can carry out such a phenomenal operation, without the prodding and intelligence support of a very sophisticated entity, with adequate access to information about American military activities in the area, which Israel enjoys more than any other country in the region, including those nations, which even accommodate large American forces in their midst.
While many may think such idea as being preposterous, we have discussed some of the methods sometimes used by the Zionist lobby in the US, including Monica Lewinsky, in Common Sense (YT 26/6/00 and 10/7/00), but the tactics are not confined to scandalous affairs that merely touch on the passions of the libido, but also include such ingenious tactics as the sinking of the USS Liberty in the Mediterranean, which was casually dismissed as a mistake and other cases, like the Pollard spying case, just to name a few.
This observer asked many enlightened and well versed Moslem scholars on the legitimacy of operations like the sinking of the USS Cole, if we assume that the US is viewed as a supporter of an enemy. Almost unanimously these Moslem jurists stated that as long as there are peace treaties and treaties of friendship between a Moslem nation and the United States, there are no legitimate Islamic grounds for carrying out such operation, as long as the state of war does not exist between the Moslem nation and the United States. Thus, any Moslem organization claiming responsibility for such violation of Islamic jurisprudence faces accountability to Allah. It is more likely that such organization is serving the interests of entities or powers that are trying to find ways out of the predicaments they face.
On the other hand, a brief look at the history of Israeli intelligence, will lead to the discovery that they have easily worked against their first sponsors, the British (before Israel had become a state) by killing their officers and Mandate officials in Palestine, to the point that the British administrators had listed a lot of the soon to become big whigs in the Israeli regime such as Shamir and Begin as outlaws. They bombed the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, which was packed with British officers. They killed Count Bernadotte, the Secretary General of the United Nations (and may have been behind the death of Dag Hammarshold, another UN Secretary General), in his quest for a peaceful settlement of the Middle East. They have used sex as a means to gain the support of UN officers (see Soldering for Peace by Carl Von Horn) and so many illicit and immoral tactics. Thus, while all the possibilities should be studied, even the connections of the Israeli Mosad or some other western intelligence links to so called Moslem terrorist organizations should not be ruled out, especially since such quick fly by night organizations as Mohammeds Warriors or other conspicuous names, where the only Islamic attribute they have lies in the name only and nothing else.
On the other hand, one should realize that by now Israel is in a very insecure position, as much as the Israelis claim to the contrary. The blows of Hizbullah, which apparently has proven to adhere more positively to Islamic doctrine and principles in effectively waging its holy war against Israel, than any other Moslem organization if not country – to date. On the other hand, the reliance on western media support and even the political support of several western countries or political organizations is not so easily securable, even with tactics such as Monica Lewinsky and support to political organization (It was surprising to hear George Bush the Younger state that he would work for a just settlement of the Middle East problem, although one cannot fail to recognize how the American Jewish lobby was infuriated by the recognition of President Bill Clinton that there is a legitimate call for some kind of retribution due to the Palestinians in view of the suffering they have gone through).
An important point to also take into consideration is that during the Cold War, Israel enjoyed the status of the policeman of the region for the Western Alliance. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the United States as a global superpower (touched upon by Common Sense on several occasions in the past), it appears that Israel is out looking for some kind of role to justify continued blind American and Western support. Thus Israel and her supporters are seeking to exaggerate the emergence of a Moslem threat to Western Civilization and culture and working diligently through clandestine organizations to project the real dangers that come from such a threat. That is why one will find most serious minded Moslems generally appalled by the tactics employed by such organizations, which call for the imposition of Moslem jurisdiction, when, in fact, one will find that these organizations are ill versed in real Islamic Law and jurisdiction and often work to project a negative image of Islam thus making them a disservice to Islam.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that all things set aside, it is oil that will really take on the role of the pivotal element that shall dictate what American and Western policy in the region should follow, and that an important economic factor as oil will be better protected directly by the United States, as was seen in the Gulf War of 1991. Furthermore, the increasing importance of oil has perhaps lead serious minded American policy makers to seek a more balanced policy that does not seek to encourage alienation of the Arab masses, let alone the Arab regimes.
It then goes without saying that Israel is seeking to regain some important role in the eyes of the Western countries, and to insist that no Arab state can be trusted to even fuel its warships, let alone protect western interests in the area.
In looking at the sophistication of the attack on the USS Cole, it would seem logical, in the wake of setbacks faced by Israel in several fronts, that Israeli intelligence may have considered that a dramatic explosion (the Israelis are well qualified in the area of high explosives going back to the days of the fight for independence) of the type, which hit the USS Cole, would either cause American and Western policy makers to reconsider any trust they may have developed for the Arab countries, and accordingly reinvigorate the reliability of the Israeli role as the policeman of the West in the area, not to exclude other possible reasons, such as blackmail or other arm-twisting tactics, which are not unfamiliar to Israeli strategic thinkers.
On the moral implications involved, one would hardly find it difficult to affirm that Israeli adherence to moral factors is not very high on the priority list of Israeli strategists and their Zionist supporters, who live by the motto that the ends justify the means.
For sure, the US can rule out any Yemeni government involvement or support for such an operation, for Yemeni policy has always been to follow a course that does not seek any animosity with any power, not to mention the lip service support to Arab nationalist causes. Furthermore, Yemen has too many mutual interests at stake with the United States to want to create any reason for animosity with the United States. In fact, most fellow Yemenis that this observer talked with clearly saw no interest for Yemenis to consider such an operation as helpful to Yemen in its present co. This observer is sure that the authorities in the Republic of Yemen will do all in their power, in cooperation with the US investigators to arrive to the real culprit of this crime, which tend to really serve the interests of the enemies of Yemen and the enemies of the Arab nation at large.
It is appropriate that this observer should convey to the United States and the families of the victims of this heinous crime our condolences and regrets. We also assure them that the majority of the Yemeni people hide no pride in such a violation of the code of Arab and Islamic hospitality.

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