Paper: Washington plans on a purchase of the Golan
Syria-Israel-USA, Politics, 10/16/1999

The London based al-Zaman paper said on Friday in a report from Washington that the US is preparing the deal to buy the Golan at a cost of US $20 billion from Israel in order to hand it over to Syria.

The paper added that the governments of the US and Israel started discussions on "US $20 billion" as a special deal for the Golan.

The paper added that this came in a message by Yuram Itinger, who worked at the Israeli embassy in Washington as responsible for relations with the US Congress during the former Likud government. The message, which was circulated in the US with the objective of reviving opposition against Israel's withdrawal from the Golan among the American Jews as well as those who back Israel in the US, said that Israel's withdrawal from the Golan under pressure from the US administration will convert Israel from a remarkable strategic region into an area that increases the US strategic and financial risks and burdens.

However, such pressures may be explained that it is an obligation by the US to spend billions of US dollars to withstand costs of military and civilian redeployment as well as other expenditures that will be necessitated by conditions implied as a result of withdrawal from the Golan.

The report added that while the US Congress is about to agree to a "Wye deal with the Palestinians" estimated at US $1.3 billion requested by the US administration to tempt Israel to more concessions of lands (for the Palestinians), Washington and Tel Aviv are now discussing about a sum of US $20 billion for the Golan deal.

The Golan deal, which is an attempt to compensate Israel over losing the Golan, is composed of the following elements: US $5 billion to finance two constant fighting contingent and armored soldiers conveyers of Bradley type, including artillery, electronic telecommunications and other equipment; US$ 3 billion for 100 Apache helicopters; US $400 million for 20 helicopters; US $500 million for a light contingent that can be transported by air, anti tanks and equipped with Hellfire missiles; US $6 billion for two multipurpose contingents, equipped with large scale warplanes to back anti-missiles missiles; US $2 billion for five or six early warning planes, reconnaissance planes and tactical units; besides the above mentioned, there will be a need for US $5 billion every year to keep the Israeli armed forces on alert as well as another US $10 billion to resettle the Israeli civilians.

The paper explained that Itinger's purpose in circulating this message and this information to the American people is to ring the "bell of danger to the taxpayers in the US."

Itinger concluded his message with the following phrase: "Prepare yourself for the Syrian deal."

Previous Stories:
  British sources: Syria will not go under Israeli pressures   (10/6/1999)
  Syria refutes Israeli allegations on promise of withdrawal from Golan   (10/4/1999)
  Al-Sharaa delivers Syria's speech before the UN General Assembly   (10/1/1999)

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