Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 4, 2000 Page: 4 of 24
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TEXAS JEWISH POST, THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2000 — IN OUR 54TH YEARI
Washington Watch
By James David Besser
TJP Washington Correspondent
Jewish groups were generally
satisfied that the administration
But several
subthemes were
expected to com-
plicate those
talks: continued
U.S. anger over
Terror Report: Same Bad
Guys, Different Terror Centers:
Iran and Syria remain primary
sponsors of international terror-
ism, according to the annual “Pat-
terns in Global Terrorism” report
unveiled this week.
That assessment comes despite
continued U.S. efforts to lure
Syria back to the Mideast negoti-
ating table, and a series of opti-
mistic gestures aimed at boosting
the Iranian moderates who won
the recent parliamentary elections
in that country.
The report suggested a geo-
graphic shift in the “locus” of ter-
rorism from the Middle East to
the Far East, where a new genera-
tion of terrorists like Saudi expa-
triate Osama bin Laden have
found refuge.
But some Jewish leaders dis-
miss that change as insignificant.
“It’s true, but who cares?” said
Shoshana Bryen, special projects
director for the Jewish Institute
for National Security Affairs
(JINSA). “It’s the same people.
Terrorists always gravitate to the
most lawless countries they can
find Today that’s Afghanistan:
fifteen years ago it was Lebanon.”
This year’s report points to the
usual seven-member rogue’s
gallery of state sponsors of terror-
ism: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan,
\orth Korea, Cuba and Libya.
And it nominated two more
states for possible inclusion in the
♦uture — Pakistan and
Mghamstan.
Overall, there were more terror-
s attacks around the world, but
ewer killings “because of the
absence of any attack causing
nass casualties."
‘The number of attacks
ncrea-sed in every region of the
vorld except in the Middle East,
where six fewer attacks
occurred," the report said.
Michael Sheehan, the State
Department’s anti-terrorism coor-
dinator, attributed that to more
active anti-terrorism efforts.
“Throughout the Middle East, I
can report, there’s improved
cooperation in disrupting cells
and extraditing terrorists back for
trial, and this has paid dividends
in the past year,” he said at a
briefing.
The report offered a mixed
review of the Palestinian Authori-
ty-
“While the PA’s counterterror-
ist campaign showed improve-
ment, it continued to face chal-
lenges from the resilient terrorist
infrastructure of groups opposed
to the peace process,” according
to the document.
Syrian officials are eager to get
off the list; the State Department
report, while excoriating Damas-
cus for providing safe haven to ter-
rorist groups, directly addressed
that hope by stating that that “a
Middle East peace agreement nec-
essarily would address terrorist
issues and would lead to Syria
being considered for removal from
the list of state sponsors."
The report also presented a
bleak assessment of Iran.
“Although there were signs of
political change in Iran in 1999,
the actions of certain state institu-
tions in support of terrorist groups
made Iran the most active state
sponsor of terrorism,” according
to the report.
Iran, it said, “stepped up” its
support for anti-peace process ter-
ror groups after the election of
Prime Minister Ehud Barak last
year and the resumption of
lsraeli-Syrian peace talks.
The report had several changes
in the overall pattern of interna-
tional terrorism.
“We are seeing an eastward
shift in terrorism’s center of grav-
ity, from the Middle East to South
Asia, particularly Afghanistan,"
said Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright on Monday.
At the same time, she said, the
report points to a shift “from state
funding to private sponsorship in
criminal enterprises such as
blackmail and trafficking in
drugs, guns and even human
beings."
The report also “reflects
changes in the nature of our com-
mon foe," she said. "We are see-
ing a shift from weII-organized
local groups supported by stale
sponsors to more far-flung and
loosely structured webs of terror.
But Jewish activists point out
that those shifts do not necessari-
ly mean an ideological change in
terrorism.
Much of the terror threat ema-
nating from South Asia “has a
strong Mideast component," said
Jess Hordes, Washington director
for the Anti-Defamation League.
“It may be tnie that there is a ter-
rorist center operating out of
Afghanistan that is a real concern
to this country. But one needs to
be careful not to underestimate
the flow of terrorism from the
Middle East.”
did not rig the list to suit its diplo-
matic efforts.
“We are pleased to see that the
administration did not tamper
with the list with regard to Syria
and Iran,” said Howard Kohr,
executive director of the Ameri-
can Israel Public Affairs Commit-
tee (AIPAC), the pro-Israel lobby.
"What is remarkable about the
report is what has NOT changed."
Until there are “dramatic
changes” in the behavior of the
countries cited, he said, “no con-
sideration should be given to tak-
ing them off the list."
Zionist Organization of Ameri-
ca president Morton Klein offered
a less positive analysis.
“The report whitewashes the
Palestinian Authority’s revolving
door justice by heaping praise on
it for its few token arrests of
Hamas members, yet makes no
mention of their constant releases
of terrorists,” he said.
He added that while Syria
remains on the terrorism list, this
year’s report “softened the lan-
guage” about Syria’s role in sup-
porting Hezbollah guerrillas.
Difficult Climate for Strategic
Talks:
Israeli and U.S. military offi-
cials met again this week to dis-
cuss a possible upgrade in strate-
gic relations between the two
allies.
sales to China,
and the possibility of extra U.S.
aid to help Israel with its planned
July withdrawal from Southern
Lebanon.
No formal proposals for new aid
have been made, sources stress.
But the security costs of the
withdrawal are significant, and a
request COULD be forthcoming,
if Israeli officials think they will
get a receptive hearing in Con-
gress and at the White House.
Administration officials brush-
ed off earlier Israeli hints about
aid for the Lebanon withdrawal,
but Jerusalem is hoping a package
may prove more appealing to the
administration as the pullback.
“It’s just beginning to appear
on radar screens," said an Israeli
official. “But there’s nothing spe-
cific on the table; no requests
have been made, and none is like-
ly until we get closer and get a
better reading of the mood in
Washington."
At the same time, Israeli offi-
cials and pro-Israel leaders con-
tinue to discuss a much larger aid
package to accompany a deal
with Syria.
The lsraeli-Syrian talks are on
hold, but Israeli officials want to
keep a pilot light turned on in
case unexpected developments
result in a resumption of talks.
But the aid question, as well as
talks over a new defense pact
between the two countries, will
be complicated by the ongoing
conflict between Washington and
Jerusalem over a controversial
Israeli arms deal with China
involving advanced radar planes
that the administration argues
could be used against U.S. or Tai-
wanese pilots.
Israeli officials denied press
reports over the weekend indicat-
ing that the Pentagon was holding
up a number of weapons pro-
grams for Israel because of the
China deal. But observers here
say there are clear signs there will
be a slowdown, although its
dimensions remain unclear.
An Israeli official said the two
sides continue to look for “cre-
ative ways” to end the dispute.
But with Israel insisting it
wants to go with the sale of the
plane currently under production
and the Americans saying “no
sale,” there appears to be little
room for compromise.
see WASH WATCH p. 22
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Wisch, J. A. & Wisch, Rene. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 4, 2000, newspaper, May 4, 2000; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth754041/m1/4/: accessed July 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .