Israel’s Sharon First To Know of U.S. Attack On Iraq

JERUSALEM, Aug 4 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The U.S. seeks to secure "maximum coordination" with Israel in case America wages war on Iraq, messages from the U.S. administration to Jerusalem indicate, according to Israeli media Sunday, august 4, 2002.

This means the U.S. will give Israel prior notice of any planned attack so that Israel can prepare the home front against Iraqi missile attacks, reported Israeli daily newspaper Ha’aretz.

The paper added that the Americans expect Israel to consult with them about any response to an Iraqi attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in his talks with President George W. Bush and other senior officials in Washington that if Iraq attacks Israel, Israel will not just "sit and take it."

The U.S. notified Sharon 60 hours before it launched the attack on Afghanistan last year, but Israel expects much longer warning before any American operation in Iraq.

In the Gulf War in 1991, Iraq launched about 40 Scud missiles at Israel. The Israeli army allegedly had counterattack plans. However, the Americans refused to let Israel partake in the war and risk the support of the Arab coalition.

During his visit to the U.S. last week, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told the press that Israel is part of the camp led by President Bush. Israel will not hinder the process of ridding the world of Iraq's leader Saddam Hussein although it might suffer dearly, he said.

In another sign of cooperation between the two countries, Israel and the U.S. on Sunday, August 4, signed an accord not to extradite any of the other's citizens to the International Criminal Court (ICC) without mutual consent, officials in Israel said, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Under the pact signed by visiting U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, no extradition to the court in The Hague can go ahead without the agreement of the concerned individual's government, U.S. and Israeli officials said.

The agreement was made under section 98 of the ICC's charter that restricts extradition of suspects when states have signed such agreements, Israeli officials said.

Both Israel and the United States signed the court's original charter in 2000 but failed to ratify it this year, with Israel fearing it could be used by hostile states against its occupation of the Palestinian territories.

The United States also vehemently is opposed to the court, which it fears will be turned into a political instrument with malicious war crimes accusations against its soldiers abroad, particularly in UN peacekeeping operations.

The agreement with Israel is the second such pact for Washington, which signed a similar immunity deal with Romania last Thursday.