Israel security and Iraq crisis with Egypt center stage

Iraq finally expelled American weapons inspectors, despite the UN Security Council resolution banning Iraqi officials who interfere with the inspectors from traveling abroad, and suspending further reviews of economic sanctions against Iraq until the inspectors certify that Baghdad is cooperating.

Indeed, there is nothing worse than the embargo on Baghdad after Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait in August 1990.

So, Iraq's official newspapers stressed that Iraq would not back down despite the threat of US military action. "The barking of the United States does not scare the Iraqis," said the newspaper, Babel, which is run by Saddam's son, Uday.

Iraqis charge that Washington is using the UN special commission as a tool to keep UN sanctions in place and insist that the makeup of the commission should be changed. But the American administration insists that its inspectors participate in the UN special commission, threatening from time to time a military action.

Some analysts say that America is using the UN commission to spy into Iraq's sites to assure Israeli security, and that the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait itself was an American entrapment of Iraq into a fight so that it can be weakened as a threat to Israel. Saddam before the war made clear and threatening statements towards Israel saying "we will cut Israel's tail" if it attacks an Arab country. Iraq at the time was viewed as a military power, and a year earlier, a CIA report indicated that Iraq has become a threat to US strategic interests (Oil and Israel). The US has stated that Israel is a strategic ally, and that it will always seek to ensure its military supremacy over a combined Arab force. we can see obviously, the connections between the two Iraqi and Palestinian issue.

On the other side, hundreds of Iraqi families have expressed their readiness to stay in the presidential place in defiance of any American military aggression against these sites, and others gathered in front of the presidential palace to confirm their readiness to sacrifice for their country and leader Saddam Hussein.

Indeed, this crisis came back to make Saddam Hussein an Arab champion. In the meantime, most of Arab leaders refuse any military action or further sanctions against Iraqi people.

Two days ago, there was a meeting between President Hosni Mubarak and his top aids to launch intensive consultation with the Iraqi government and the UN with the aim of defusing the showdown between Baghdad and the world organization.

"We have had numerous contacts with the Iraqi side in an attempt to contain current crisis through diplomatic efforts," Foreign Minister Amr Moussa told reporters. "I spoke with Iraqi foreign minister Mohammed Said Al-Sahhaf, after I was asked by president Mubarak to remain in close touch with him and the UN secretary-general."

According to Moussa, Egypt stepped up its diplomatic efforts to make sure that "Iraq is given a fair chance to explain its position" and hopefully, will be persuaded to reconsider.

Under discussion, Moussa said, is an appropriate formula to contain the crisis. This formula would cover Iraq's compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions and also attempt to take into consideration the complaints and concerns put forward by Baghdad.

Tariq Aziz, is on his way to Cairo and would tour the region and meet with regional leaders to explain the Iraqi position.