Israel’s hidden agenda in Iraq

MANSOOR JAFAR

Israel has turned out to be the only country reaping the maximum benefits out of US invasion on Iraq. No wonder why Tel Aviv is trying hard to prolong the war by secretly fueling the conflict. 
Washington may be internally worried over the relentless US losses in Iraq and an early replacement of US forces in Iraq with UN peacekeepers or Muslim armies might be on the cards. But Israel is the only country desiring a prolonged US military presence and war in Iraq because severing of US relations with Arab world is directly beneficial for Tel Aviv since it renews the prospects of its regaining the old special position of ‘sole US ally in the Middle East’ during the cold war days and thus bringing huge economic dividends.
According to reports Tel Aviv has been hiring PR firms and prodding intellectuals and writers to build public opinion calling for a prolonged war till the complete realization of US objectives. It has been trying secret intelligence operations to fuel the conflict for extended stay of US forces in Iraq. 
Tel Aviv has been increasingly finding itself as ‘the odd one out’ following the end of cold war and particularly the declaration of Washington’s ‘New World Order’. The realignment of US allies in the region, bringing Washington many new Arab friends and allowing US army direct access to Saudi Arabia has practically discarded Tel Aviv by sharply reducing its importance for the US interests in the region. Before the Iraq war, or precisely prior to 9-11, Tel Aviv’s prospects of having any significant role to play in the New World Order were bleak. 
So far the US invasion of Iraq has brought many political and strategic advantages for Israel in shape of revival of Israeli intelligence and Media network in Iraq. Israeli secret service Mossad has largely expanded its network in Northern Iraq particularly in Kurd areas where presence of its agents has multiplied over ten times. According to reports Mossad has established offices in several key cities like Irbel and Sulemaniah. Besides, the Israeli think tank MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) has recently established its offices in Iraq. According to reports MEMRI primarily intends to monitor Iraqi media reports and translate them into Hebrew for policy concerns of Tel Aviv. But its aims are believed to be much beyond what was stated since its management has kept the location of its new offices in Iraq a secret for ‘security reasons’. 
As for huge economic prospects in Iraq, Israel has succeeded in earning several contracts for its firms in Iraqi “rebuilding”. But the largest profit prospects Israel is eyeing in Iraq are associated with the revival of an oil pipeline that connected the oil reserves in Northern Iraq to Israeli port-city of Haifa via Jordan. This pipeline has remained closed since 1948 after Jewish occupation of Palestinian lands. 
Washington is co-sponsoring the pipeline revival plan with Israel as some of the leading US oil companies are collaborating with Israeli counterparts in the project. Feasibilities of the project have been completed and work has already been started to the dismay of Turkey which has expressed serious concerns on the plan that tends to damage considerably its economic interests. 
Turkey has been the sole beneficiary after the Mosul-Haifa pipeline was closed 56 years ago. Ankara had succeeded in laying a major pipeline to Mosul that allows it to pump huge quantities of oil which it has been supplying to most of the European countries. But in case of revival of pipeline to Haifa the major oil share would flow into it significantly reducing Ankara’s share and damaging its economic interests. Turkey has been working on a plan to combine its oil pipeline to Mosal and the gas pipeline from Central Asian states and connecting both of them to its port city of Gihan but this US-Israeli plan has devastated those prospects. 
According to estimates, Israel will become one of the leading oil suppliers of the region after commissioning of the Haifa pipeline, and realization of those huge economic prospects depended upon the stay of US forces in Iraq. 
During the Soviet Union days Israel was the sole US ally in the region performing dual job of countering Soviet expansion and acting as middle man for implementing American interests in the Middle East. Israel had worked with US for espionage and counter espionage operations in the Middle East, providing its intelligence network to Washington for destabilizing US enemies and stabilizing the regimes serving US interests, since CIA used to work under certain handicaps in the cold war era.
After the elimination of Soviet threat the CIA got complete freedom to work anywhere in the world. Following the first Gulf war Washington found it easier to watch its interests by stationing its army in Middle East and Gulf countries. On top of it the declaration of New World Order changed the whole scenario. The new US objectives and priorities had no prominent place for Israel as the caretaker of US interests and its status was reduced to just another US ally among others in the region. As Washington was dealing directly with all Middle East regimes Isreal was eliminated and sidelined.
It became obvious that Israel had no role to play in the New World Order. Its Zionist ideology and expansionist policies came in conflict with the US objectives in the region. The New World Order calls for globalization of all world countries, treating them as single international entity with the US as sole super power, but the Israeli ideology of Zionism driven by staunch ethnic nationalism became one of the irritants in its smooth sailing.
Though Washington still kept Tel Aviv as strategic partner, the Zionism-driven Israeli policies and its military adventurism caused much disturbance for Washington as it earned global concern and even criticism from within the US over Tel Aviv’s fascist policies that reminded the world of Nazism. Arab allies of Washington constantly protest against Israeli massacre of Arabs, its expansionism over Arab lands and particularly the plans to destroy the Al-Aqsa mosque to construct Jewish temple in its place. 
Only a long war in Iraq could damage the US friendship with Muslim/Arab countries and resurrect the Islamic extremism against which Israel could be used again as a US base. Perhaps this explains for the US invasion on Iraq despite the absence of WMDs and the fact that Saddam posed no real military threat to Israel. 
Analysts see that the trend of suicide attacks in Israel has shown a downward slide following the Iraq war. It also explains Tel Aviv’s philosophy that Israel’s security depends upon the insecurity of the region. 
The secret US aid to Israel has been dwindling over the last decade following the end of cold war, forcing Israel to depend upon its industrial and commerce sector which failed to show desired progress during the last decade. The declining Israeli economy badly needs more US aids to survive as many Israeli entrepreneurs have been complaining against Washington for deserting their country at this trying time. 

The writer is a Lahore-based political analyst and commentator on Middle Eastern issues.
E-mail: mj@mansoorjafar.com