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Israel expects Iraq war by end of month
But it won't be like 1991, top defense sources say.
Despite Chinese, French and German opposition to America's plans to strike at Iraq,
Israeli defense sources said last night they expect the U.S. to act before the end of the
month, especially after Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech to the UN Security
Council last night.

But the same sources said last night that "this won't be a situation of rocket launches at us
every afternoon, like in the last Gulf War. At most, we'll experience one or two rocket
attacks - and even that's unlikely."

The defense establishment was pleased with Powell's speech, with sources saying it more
or less matched Israel's own assessment of the situation there. Indeed, the sources said
some of the material Powell presented was based on information that Israel provided to
the U.S.

A senior IDF source told Haaretz that he believes the Americans have more
"incriminating" evidence against Iraq, but Powell did not reveal it for fear it would
compromise intelligence sources.

The current assessment in the army is, as Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon has put it, "the
elephants have begun to run and there's nothing that can stop them," from attacking Iraq.

The Americans are determined to topple Saddam, and despite the reservations expressed
yesterday at the Security Council by China, France and Germany, nothing appears capable
now of stopping the U.S., especially since nobody really expects Saddam Hussein to back
down at the last minute.

"Throughout his entire life, that man has played on the brink," said a top defense source.
"He won't stop now."

The defense establishment does not plan to institute emergency footing immediately with
the beginning of the American assault. But as the assault date approaches, air defenses
will be stepped up. Decisions about emergency steps will be made "on the basis of the
assessments," meaning only if there is information that Iraq is indeed about to attack.






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