To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Next Mideast war in the offing?
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 09:20:21 -0000

Next Mideast war in the offing?
Reports say U.S., Britain, Israel making preparations for battle

By Jon Dougherty
=A9 2001 WorldNetDaily.com=20

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=3D21384

U.S. military forces in Europe, which are currently at threat=20
condition "Bravo," are set to be upgraded to condition "Charlie" by=20
Jan. 20, while other elements of U.S. European theater forces -- as=20
well as British special forces troops -- may be headed to=20
Israel "within a few weeks," sources have told WorldNetDaily.=20

According to a host of reports from various European and Middle East=20
military sources, all of whom requested anonymity for security=20
reasons, European Command, or EUCOM, forces last week were placed on=20
alert status "Bravo" -- with "Alpha" being the lowest and "Delta"=20
being the highest -- "across the board," which included all U.S.=20
forces stationed in the European theater -- Germany, Italy, Kosovo,=20
Bosnia and elsewhere.=20

Other sources said the alert status would be upgraded to "Charlie" --=20
the second highest level -- at "2400 hours European time, Jan. 20,"=20
the day President-elect George W. Bush is to be sworn into office,=20
due to developments taking shape in the Middle East.=20

Another source said the U.S. V Corps -- which includes the U.S.=20
Army's 1st Armored Division and the 1st Infantry Division, plus=20
supporting artillery, engineer, medical and supply units -- "are=20
moving en masse to Grafenwoehr" -- a sprawling training center near=20
Nuremberg -- and that Patriot missile batteries may be moved to=20
Israel.=20

A spokesman for the U.S. Army, Lt. Col. Dave LaPan, confirmed that=20
EUCOM's alert status was upgraded to "Bravo" last week, noting=20
that "they go up and down all the time."=20

Another U.S. Army spokesman said he was "unaware of any pending=20
change to the threat conditions in the United States European=20
Command." While he said he had "no specific knowledge" of the troop=20
movements, he added, "I can tell you that we frequently train at=20
Grafenwoehr. =85 It would not be at all unusual for [those units] to=20
move there."=20

When asked if the Pentagon planned such training exercises -- which=20
typically cost millions of dollars -- well in advance, the spokesman=20
said, "Yes, yes, way in advance."=20

But, after some hesitation, he added, "As far as I know, there would=20
be no relation between" the movement of those forces "and any raise=20
or elevation of the threat condition."=20

"I'm unaware of the things that you're talking about in advance," he=20
said.=20

When asked if WND could quote him as saying the particular exercise=20
at Grafenwoehr had been planned in advance, he replied, "I wouldn't=20
say that, because I don't know that there is an exercise going on."=20

According to EUCOM, there is no record of a major January 2001=20
exercise involving the numbers of troops that comprise the U.S.=20
Army's V Corps.=20

But, sources told WND, the divisions reportedly being deployed to=20
Grafenwoehr are "taking with them more than just enough stuff for a=20
weekender. They're taking contamination outfits, protection gear, all=20
of it -- lock, stock and barrel."=20

Also, sources said, "the 69th Air Defense Brigade" -- a two battalion=20
Patriot missile brigade -- "is going through the process of deploying=20
overseas, meaning leaving Europe, and they're going to Israel."=20

One source said U.S. Patriot batteries are already -- and routinely --
 stationed in Israel and Kuwait.=20

However, by deploying the 69th, "this means that those two=20
battalions -- which are the umbrella of air defense protection for=20
that army -- are being taken away from them, leaving them naked. That=20
doesn't make a lot of military sense, but when you add up all the=20
little pieces =85 it seems that the European Command is saying, 'Once=20
the 69th is deployed, this will send a signal to all terrorists =85=20
that the U.S. is definitely taking sides in a fight [in the Middle=20
East] that all sides now admit is a war.'"=20

The same source also said British SAS special forces troops were=20
preparing to deploy "to a desert climate" within three weeks.=20

Meanwhile, a separate report said the U.S. military has ordered=20
soldiers with families living in Israel to send them home, but both=20
the Pentagon and the State Department denied that report.=20

"At this juncture, we don't feel that that decision is merited," one=20
State Department spokesman told WND. "Whenever something happens, we=20
go through all the options ... and decide on the best course of=20
action."=20

The spokesman said the last time Washington issued an "authorized=20
departure" for U.S. citizens to leave Israel "was in December 1998,=20
the last time we conducted a sustained bombing of Iraq." The time=20
before that was in 1991 during the Gulf War.=20

However, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for U.S.=20
citizens in Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank Jan. 12, warning=20
that the "U.S. Government has indications that there is a heightened=20
threat of terrorist incidents" in the Jewish state.=20

"Violent clashes and confrontations continue to take place throughout=20
the West Bank and Gaza. U.S. Embassy and Consulate employees have=20
been prohibited from traveling to the West Bank, Gaza, commercial=20
districts of East Jerusalem and the Old City of Jerusalem, except for=20
mission essential business," the State Department said.=20

"When you look at all the signals coming out of Iraq, for example,"=20
one source told WND, "they are significant. In effect, he [Iraqi=20
President Saddam Hussein] is saying, 'We're going to bring a lot of=20
pain to Israel,'" noting that Saddam has deployed Republican Guard=20
divisions "50 miles south of Baghdad and two divisions near the=20
border with Syria."=20

"When you look at these signals, it's 10 years ago again," the source=20
said, noting that other sources "who don't know each other are all=20
saying the same things."=20

"From all indicators, it looks like" the U.S. is making preparations=20
for conflict in the Middle East.=20

On Wednesday, separate published reports said Israeli commanders were=20
pressing Prime Minister Ehud Barak's government for full mobilization=20
of military reserves to "augment the standing army and relieve active=20
duty forces from duty in Gaza and the West Bank so they can train for=20
what commanders view as an inevitable regional war."=20

Sources also confirmed earlier reports that Israel was reinforcing=20
its northern border with tanks, armored personnel carriers and troops=20
in expectation of attacks that would come from guerrilla and=20
terrorist forces in Lebanon.=20

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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Israel seriously considering severing
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 09:45:09 -0500

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 02:26:05 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Israel seriously considering severing
           all relations with the Mitchell Committee

Ha'aretz: Israel seriously considering severing all relations with the
Mitchell Committee

By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz Diplomatic Correspondent Ha'aretz 18 January 2001

Israel is now seriously considering severing all relations with the Mitchell
Committee, international fact-finding committee set up at Arafat's request
to investigate the violence in the territories, after its technical staff
failed to coordinate a visit to the Temple Mount with Jerusalem.

The team visited the Mount on Saturday without even informing Israel, and

no Israeli official was present. The tour was conducted entirely by the
Palestinian waqf.

The Foreign Ministry considered a number of possible responses yesterday,
and a government source said that Israel's liaison to the Mitchell
Committee - the deputy director-general of the Defense Ministry, Moshe
Kochanovksy - recommended severing relations with the committee entirely.
Other ideas discussed included asking the team to leave Israel and freezing
the committee's work until after the elections.

The full committee is due to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority next
week.

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
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========
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Daily World Affairs Report items (1/18/01)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2001 09:45:09 -0500

R.O.C. LEADERS NOT HAPPY ABOUT POPE'S VISIT TO=20
UKRAINE=20

Russian sources have said that the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow is=20
about to voice opposition to Pope John Paul II's plan to visit Ukraine this=
=20
year. The sources said that during a recent meeting of the standing council=
=20
of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan=20
Vladimir, representing the Russian Patriarchate at Kiev, was appointed to=20
write an official letter to dissuade the Pope from making the visit, planne=
d=20
for June 2001.=20

Some Orthodox leaders fear that a visit by the Bishop of Rome would=20
trigger an explosion of the inter-confessional conflicts which have=20
tormented Ukraine for more than a decade, and which now form a knot of=20
interests difficult to unravel. Since the fall of Communism a decade ago,=20
Catholics in Ukraine have been fighting to regain churches confiscated by=20
the Soviets in the '40s and given to Orthodox parishes. Predictably, the=20
Orthodox have been reluctant to part with the buildings they have owned=20
for five decades. In addition, Orthodox leaders claim that Ukrainian=20
Catholics, who celebrate an Eastern rite, should rightly be part of the=20
Orthodox Church, and not the Catholic Church. (Catholic World News)=20

* The Vatican has revised the official dates for Pope John Paul's trip to=20
Ukraine in June, saying that the trip will be from June 23-27 rather than=20
June 21-24. The first dates were given in the official Vatican=20
announcement of the trip on November 30, 2000. But the change was made=20
after Father Robert Tucci, the Jesuit priest who generally does advance=20
work for papal trips, traveled to Ukraine to discuss plans for the Pope's=20
visit. Father Tucci met with Ukrainian government officials and religious=20
leaders during his trip, from January 8-13. Although plans are now=20
advanced, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See has said that the final=
=20
schedule for the papal trip is not yet available.=20

A tentative schedule calls for the Pope to spend 2 days in Kiev, then 2 day=
s=20
in Lviv. The latter city is the center of the Ukrainian Catholic Church,=20
whose active presence has been a source of contention between Catholic=20
and Orthodox believers. Vatican officials have downplayed reports that=20
Ukrainian Orthodox officials are planning to promulgate an official protest=
=20
against the papal visit. One official, speaking anonymously, said: "Things=
=20
seems to be improving between Catholic and Orthodox Ukrainians -- much=20
more than the repeated statements of the Moscow Patriarchate would=20
indicate."=20

The visit to Ukraine is the only foreign trip on the Pope's schedule for th=
e=20
year 2001. However, Vatican officials also indicate that other trips are=20
under consideration. They mention a possible visit to Syria in May, where=20
the Pope could retrace the footsteps of St. Paul. There is also some=20
discussion that on his return trip from Syria the Pontiff might stop on the=
=20
island of Malta. Also, the Vatican is actively entertaining the possibility=
 of a=20
trip to Kazakhstan and one to Armenia. The Pope has received invitations=20
from both countries. The Pope apparently has dismissed the thought of=20
visiting Greece, because of fears that a visit this year would harm relatio=
ns=20
with the Orthodox Church there. (Catholic World News)=20

CHINA ADAMANT: POPE NOT WELCOME=20

The government of China remains adamantly opposed to the notion of a=20
visit by Pope John Paul II, according to Italian press reports. Italian Pri=
me=20
Minister Giuliano Amato reportedly mentioned the prospect of a papal visit=
=20
during his visit to Beijing this week, in discussions with Chinese Prime=20
Minister Zhu Rongii. The Chinese leader rejected the idea, the media=20
reports indicate, citing the "offense" against China caused by the Vatican'=
s=20
October ordination of 130 Chinese martyrs. Zhu Rongii mentioned the=20
diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Taiwan as a subject of=20
discord. According to the Italian daily Il Messaggero, Zhu Rongii=20
nevertheless claimed that in spite of the "open wounds" inflicted by the=20
Vatican, "the dialogue is not considered closed." But he said that the=20
Vatican would have to take the first step to resume discussions. (Catholic=
=20
World News)

PRINCE SETS HIS SIGHTS ON GERMAN THRONE=20

The pretender to the German throne, Georg Friedrich Hohenzollern, has=20
indicated that he would be willing to wear the crown in a restored=20
monarchy. As relatives of Frederick the Great gather in Berlin to mark the=
=20
300th anniversary of the first coronation of a Prussian kaiser, the prince=
=20
said: "My family could undertake a representative role by setting an=20
example." But the 24-year-old great-great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II,=20
Germany's last royal ruler who abdicated after WW1, added: "I totally=20
identify with the democracy in Germany."=20

At least 50 princes and princesses will meet tomorrow mark Prince-Elector=20
Frederick III's bold self-coronation as King Frederick I of Prussia. Most =
of=20
them have long since abandoned ideas of claiming a crown. More than 350=20
events are being planned in what are now the Berlin and Brandenburg=20
federal states. Prince Georg Friedrich said: "I believe that the awareness =
of=20
Prussia can be strengthened by such things." The return of the royals has=20
provoked mixed feelings among today's Germans. The Giant Guard, the=20
Prussian royal family's personal troops, will be absent from tomorrow's=20
gathering as it was feared that their presence could spark political=20
demonstrations. (The London Telegraph)=20

PRUSSIA IS REBORN - WITHOUT GOOSE-STEPPING THIS TIME=20

Prussia, once regarded as a militaristic monster, is making a=20
comeback.There are, of course, no grenadiers goose-stepping down Unter=20
den Linden, the Berlin boulevard that still looks as if it was built for pa=
rades=20
and brass bands rather than Rolls-Royce showrooms. No, it is a gentle and=20
caring Prussia that is edging its way back on to the political agenda, a ne=
w-
Labour kind of Prussia with something for everybody, not just people who=20
look good in uniform.=20

Frederick the Great, freshly renovated, is back on Unter den Linden. A=20
documentary film that makes something of a celebrity of Kaiser Wilhelm is=20
drawing big audiences. Fourteen exhibitions are opening, 500 events are=20
planned, 300,000 Prussia fans expected in this special Prussia Year. On=20
sale there are I Love Prussia mugs and T-shirts with silhouettes of all the=
=20
biggest heroes from the dead kingdom.=20

Tomorrow marks the 300th anniversary of the day when Frederick of=20
Brandenburg placed a crown on his own head and called himself King of=20
Prussia. His son, the Soldier King, Frederick Wilhelm, built up a modern=20
army and a modern civil service. The Soldier King=92s son, Frederick the=20
Great, transformed the Hohenzollerns into one of the most dynamic=20
dynasties of Europe.=20

From a British perspective it all started to go wrong some decades after=20
Waterloo. The French, the Danes, the Austrians generally share this view.=20
In 1840 Victor Hugo talked of France being the head of Europe, Prussia the=
=20
heart. Thirty years later the French were having their heads knocked=20
together by the Prussians, in what still ranks as one of their most humilia=
ting=20
defeats. Germany is not trumpeting this particular version of Prussia. Nor =
is=20
it dwelling on the theories that Prussian militarism was the precursor of=20
Nazi aggression. Rather, the new-look Prussia is being presented as an=20
oasis of racial and religious tolerance, of decency and firm no-nonsense=20
values.

When Chancellor Schr=F6der, invited 30,000 foreign computer specialists to=
=20
work in Germany he triggered a debate about the nature of German=20
identity. But several months of debate about the so-called Leitkultur =97 t=
he=20
=93defining culture=94 of Germany =97 has produced no agreement apart from =
a=20
vague concern that all foreigners should be able to speak a bit of the=20
language. Enter Prussia Year 2001.=20

Bild newspaper listed the Prussian virtues: loyalty, modesty, thrift, self-
discipline and tolerance. Many non-Prussian Germans sneer at the idea of=20
Prussian virtues =97 thrift is regarded as a Swabian quality, tolerance is=
=20
something in which the Rhinelanders excel. The attraction of Prussian=20
values is that they were codified, made part of a daily ruling system.=20
Corruption rife in all German principalities and duchies was successfully=20
constrained in Prussia. Perhaps this is the true lesson of Prussia Year: th=
e=20
new Berlin republic needs to legislate more, to construct a moralcore.=20

It is no longer enough to rely on =93civil society=94 or local heroes to st=
op racist=20
violence: laws have to be tightened and enforced. Foreigners have to be=20
given a sense of security in eastern Germany. Tolerance cannot be imposed=20
from above but intolerance can be punished. Other social vices can be=20
outlawed. Berlin is probably the most corrupt of German cities yet little h=
as=20
been done to discipline a slipshod bureaucracy and backscratching local=20
politics. It seems that Germany really does need an infusion of Prussian=20
blue blood. (The London Times)=20

TOP ECONOMIST BY DAY, A KNIGHT BY NIGHT=20

A long line of 80 men, 2 deep and swathed in black cloaks bearing a cross=20
on a white shield, solemnly stride through the Deutschordenskirche, a 14th-
century Gothic church. They resemble crusaders, but far from being extras=20
in some pseudo-medieval pageant, they are about to attend a ceremonial=20
investiture at which Father Bruno Platter, the Grand Master of the Teutonic=
=20
Order, is about to admit some new lay members after traveling all the way=20
from the order's Vienna headquarters.=20

One of the men draped in this knightly garb is Norbert Walter, chief=20
economist at Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest bank. He has been a=20
familiar, or lay member, since 1985. Now 56, Mr. Walter says he first=20
became acquainted with the order as a student in Kiel, where an aquaitance=
=20
who "knew me to be a regular churchgoer" recruited him. At first, he was=20
skeptical about the old chivalric order, since he rejects all paramilitary=
=20
organizations because of his family's experiences of war.=20

"I knew nothing of the order's care of the elderly, drug therapy and work=20
with the homeless back then," he says, explaining that he was finally won=20
over by the argument that Christian values should once again become=20
visible in society. "That struck a chord in me and that was the reason I=20
decided to join," says Mr. Walter. "In a society as susceptible to trends a=
nd=20
fads as ours is, I believe it is very important to cultivate and promote=20
traditions as well."=20

This is a matter close to the heart of many familiars, most of whom belong=
=20
to the conservative wing of the Roman Catholic Church. Despite the=20
costumes and despite its history, however, the order has nothing to do with=
=20
the romantic image of chivalry. More important to Mr. Walter is the "strong=
=20
pastoral support" provided.=20

Chivalry has nevertheless left its mark on the Teutonic Order: Founded in=20
1190 as a fraternity of hospitalers for the care of sick and wounded=20
crusaders, it became an order of knights in 1199 and did not become a=20
purely spiritual order until 1923. Last year, it had roughly 1,090 members,=
=20
among them 90 brothers, 240 sisters and 720 familiars, about 300 of them in=
=20
Germany, where it operates some 120 socialinstitutions. Unlike the brothers=
=20
-- who include priests and lay brothers -- the familiars do not have to tak=
e=20
vows. Instead, they support the order through annual donations and good=20
deeds.=20

Despite the membership fees, however, the order was recently featured in=20
numerous German headlines because of its huge debts and insolvency.=20
Despite his expertise in this field, Mr. Walter claims ignorance of the=20
financial debacle. "Fortunately there are a lot of things I know nothing=20
about." Whether he really knows nothing or is simply sticking to the rule=20
which forbids familiars from commenting on the financial scandal is a moot=
=20
point. The only thing he is willing to say about the management is that it=
=20
appears to have "lost touch with reality."=20

An ardent adherent of the market economy, Mr. Walter is a keen advocate=20
of helping others to help themselves. "Nowhere is Christian charity greater=
=20
than where it enables others to find happiness themselves." Mr. Walter has=
=20
spent a number of weekends in Kiel with his brothers, fellow familiars and=
=20
their family members. On one occasion, the familiars helped plan and=20
finance a senior citizens' home -- "one third cheaper than other church-run=
=20
homes for the elderly," Mr. Walter proudly declares.=20

But these weekends are also a time for celebrating mass, singing and=20
praying. "It brings us together," he says. In Frankfurt, which he has calle=
d=20
home since 1987, Mr. Walter only has time to meet with his brothers "2 or 3=
=20
times a year." His job leaves him little time for attending the monthly chu=
rch=20
services and follow-up talks at the Deutschordenskirche.

Becoming a familiar is not easy. First, the candidate has to find a familia=
r to=20
recommend him to the Grand Master. Then he must name 2 people who=20
are willing to vouch for him, and submit a resume and certificate from his=
=20
priest proving that he lives an upright and decent life. After a 12-month=20
probationary period, he is sworn in at a ceremonial investiture, at which h=
e=20
is presented with his black cloak and cross as spiritual insignia and solem=
nly=20
promises to support "the Teutonic Order through prayer, personal dedication=
=20
and good works."=20

No matter what their motivation may be -- an awareness of tradition, a love=
=20
of pomp and pageantry or the search for a spiritual home in a conservative=
=20
and Catholic community -- the familiars of the Teutonic Order will turn up=
=20
again later this month at their Frankfurt church in full regalia for a serv=
ice=20
honoring Charlemagne. Mr. Walter will definitely try to trade in his suit a=
nd=20
tie for his cloak again on that day. (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)=20

ISRAELI MILITARY CHIEFS DEMAND CALL UP OF RESERVES=20

Israel's military chiefs are pressing the government for a major mobilizati=
on=20
of the reserves to allow many combat units of the standing army to leave=20
the West Bank and Gaza Strip and train in preparation for a regional war.=20
The effort comes as the military is expressing frustration with government=
=20
policy toward the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Jewish settlers have joined the=
=20
fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces in the Gaza Strip, Middle=20
East Newsline reported. The settlers uprooted trees and torched=20
greenhouses, cars and other property of Palestinians who neighbored the=20
Gush Katif bloc of settlements in Gaza.=20

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz and members of the General Staff=20
have urged Ehud Barak, who is also defense minister, to order a major=20
reserve call-up to ensure that the standing army is prepared for war this=20
year. The military has termed 2001 as a "year of readiness" for regional=20
war. "The situation is very difficult because the process of training and=20
preparation is vital to building the military," said Brig. Gen. Yiftah Ron,=
 chief=20
of staff of the Ground Forces Command. "And we will pay a heavy price=20
for stopping training." (World Tribune)=20

IRAQ SENDS MIXED SIGNALS TO BUSH=20

Iraq made peace overtures to America yesterday, mixed with an outpouring=20
of defiant rhetoric on the 10th anniversary of the start of the Gulf war. I=
raq=20
declared that it had been the true victor of the 1991 war, having fought to=
=20
fend off an "imperialist-Zionist conspiracy" and successfully defended its=
=20
"sovereignty" after 10 years of international sanctions. Tariq Aziz, deputy=
=20
Prime Minister and the regime's smoothest spokesman, said: "Saddam=20
Hussein is the symbol of resistance, a symbol of sovereignty, a symbol of=20
dignity to each and every Iraqi and the Arab nation."=20

He accused America and Britain of committing "war crimes" and=20
"genocide", and said Iraq would refuse to comply with United Nations=20
Security Council resolution 1284, which offers to end the decade-old=20
sanctions if Baghdad readmits UN weapons inspectors. But Mr Aziz also=20
repeatedly issued conciliatory signals to George W Bush, the son of the=20
man who prosecuted the war, as he prepares to take over the White House=20
at the weekend. Twice in recent days, Mr Aziz has made clear that Iraq=20
wants to open a "dialogue" with Washington and that it would "respond and=20
reciprocate" to any positive gestures from America. (The London=20
Telegraph)=20

MICHAEL TURNER =0F
(mykelturner@airmail.net)

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