Post Opinion - Editorial

ARAFAT'S SECRET MASTERS

October 5, 2002 --

Papers found by Israeli intelligence during raids earlier this year on Yasser Arafat's compound, combined with information gleaned from prisoner interrogations, apparently prove that Iraq and Iran are secretly financing and directing terrorism against Israel.

According to a report on "60 Minutes," cooperation between the two Axis of Evil states and Palestinian terror groups goes much deeper than previously suspected.

And both countries have encouraged Palestinian violence at key moments to divert attention from themselves.

The documents apparently show that:

* Iraq has been infiltrating teams of operatives and weapons into Israel for "mega-terrorism." The Israelis have already broken a Palestinian terror cell trained by Iraqi intelligence in the use of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles - and based near Ben Gurion airport in Lod.

* Saddam has reactivated Abul Abbas, the Baghdad-based Palestinian terrorist leader responsible for the hijacking of the Achille Lauro cruise ship in 1985. Ab- bas' group is now working with Arafat.

* Saddam is using the Palestinian Authority to facilitate illegal oil smuggling, and the PA has used its profits from the operation to buy weapons - like the two-plus tons of C-4 explosive found on the Karine A freighter last Janurary.

The papers also revealed that Iranian officers have visited their Hezbollah proxy army on the Israel-Lebanon border and that Iran has been supporting and training Palestinian terrorists from organizations within Israel and the territories.

All of this shows that many of the attacks suffered by Israel are less the result of local anger than the sinister intrigues of two rogue states with an interest in turning Israel and the Palestinian territories into a "second front" so as to undermine U.S. military action in the Gulf.

One more reason for Iraqi regime change.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2002