- Israel's spy satellite, OFEK, which keeps silent watch
over Iraq has now been reinforced by Jordan's unprecedented move in allowing
Israeli air force radar experts to be stationed at its ultra-secret, H-5
air base east of Amman.
-
- This is a further tangible sign that Israel is getting
ready to strike hard against Iraq.
-
- The decision to do so comes after Mossad agents inside
Iraq have concluded that Saddam intends to launch a pre-emptive strike
against Israel, "probably between September and the onset of Ramadan",
according to one Mossad source Globe-Intel spoke to.
-
- Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, has been told
that the Iraqi strike would be led with missiles equipped with chemical
warheads.
-
- So serious is the threat that Sharon called President
George Bush. Tel Aviv sources told Globe-Intel that Bush agreed at the
first indication of an attack, Israel was entitled to strike first.
-
- The Israeli air force has now prepared plans to do so.
Its 69 Squadron, the cutting edge of its air force equipped with F-151
fighters, is now on hard-stand readiness to strike deep into Iraq.
-
- And the country's Arrow anti-ballistic missile system
- more advanced than any in the Middle East - has gone to Code Yellow,
one stage below launch.
-
- The radar experts stationed at the Jordanian H-5 base,
have thrown an electronic network deep into Iraq's desert - to warn of
any low flying attacks from Saddam's fighter bombers.
-
- Mossad have warned that such an attack will be directed
at Dimona, Israel's nuclear facility in the Negev Desert.
-
- Already some of its 200 nuclear weapons have been moved
to secret bases in Israel.
-
- A further sign of impending attack is that all emergency
medical teams in the country's hospitals have been vaccinated against biological
agents.
-
- There is also a plan to inoculate the country's entire
6 million Israelis against bio-chemical weapons.
-
- Every city and town in Israel has now received its stockpile
of antidotes. But they will not be available to Palestinians on the West
Bank or Gaza Strip.
-
- A senior Israeli intelligence officer told Globe-Intel:
"It is unlikely that Saddam will attack his own supporters in those
areas. We know Israelis will be his targets. This time we will not sit
idly back."
-
- During the 1991 Gulf War, Saddam's forces launched 39
Scud missiles against Israel. The intention was to split the Arab coalition
with America.
-
- "But there is now no such coalition. And Washington
has made it clear to us it would not this time expect Israel to stand idly
by and do nothing. We will strike at the first hint Saddam is going to
attack us", said a senior Israeli Defence Force officer.
-
- Fears that Saddam does intend to attack Israel emerged
at Iraq's "celebrations" to mark the 14th anniversary of its
war with Iran last week.
-
- Saddam told cheering crowds in Baghdad that "we
are ready to make attacks deep inside the land of our enemy".
-
- Meanwhile it has emerged in Washington that the Pentagon
has prepared a high-tech battle plan which will "deploy robots, unmanned
reconnaissance drones and advanced electronic sensors to overcome resistance
from urban warfare in Baghdad".
-
- The equipment will be moved to US bases in Turkey and
Kuwait next month.
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