The Egyptian newspaper al-?Alam al-Yom carried an editorial claiming that ?Israeli hands have therefore been effectively playing behind the scenes to persuade the Americans into speeding up the planned execution [of an attack on Iraq].? This ?playing? even included, according to the editorialist, ?the Sharon government [recruiting] two high-ranking Jewish officials within the Department of Defense, who are responsible for drawing up American policies on Iraq.? The al-?Alam al-Yom editorial claims that such ?recruitment? was even printed in an American newspaper. In addition, the author claims that ?Hebrew newspapers have noted that Mossad Chief Avraham Halevy is constantly present in Washington to coordinate with the Americans.? According to the article it has even gotten to the point that ?[t]he plan said to be ready is also reported to have been prepared and fine-tuned by Israel.?



Because it is ?no longer a secret that Israel stands the only party to gain by fragmenting Iraq,? claims the Egyptian newspaper, ?[p]rayers are being performed in Israel so that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein may reject the return of weapons inspectors, in which case the justifications would readily be fulfilled for the US Administration to put its plans for a strike against Iraq into action.? While ?Israel seems to be acting hysterically seeking to actualize the strike,? the only question yet to be answered, the article states, is whether or not Iraq will ?frustrate their hopes.?



?Let us wish,? concludes the Egyptian editorial.