An Alliance Against Babylon

John K. Cooley

Description

The ruins of ancient Babylon still stand in Iraq. They are a reminder that today's conflict is only one of many that have engulfed the country, and the wider Middle East, over the centuries.



John Cooley, a former correspondent for ABC News and the Christian Science Monitor, argues that America's new invasion and occupation of Iraq marks a turning point in the West's relationship with the Arab world, and alters the balance of power within the Middle East. He argues that the crucial factor in this new development is the relationship between Israel and the United States. Examining today's problems from this unique perspective, Cooley covers a broad sweep of history, from biblical Babylonian times until now. He shows how US and Israeli interests in the Middle East were contradictory at first. He explains how and why the US-Israel alliance gradually evolved.



Drawing from unpublished sources, as well as from John Cooley's personal encounters with principal players such as David ben-Gurion, the Shah of Iran, Anwar al-Sadat, King Hussein of Jordan and Saddam Hussein himself, this book gives a uniquely valuable perspective on the complex history of Iraq and why it continues to be at the heart of world affairs.
1. Iraq and Palestine before 1948

2. The Inter-War Period and Suez (1948-56); the 1967 War

3. Iraq and the Palestinians, 1967-73

4. Israel, the US and the Kurds, 1965-2003

5. The Israeli-American War Partnerships 1990-2003

Epilogue: "Israelisation" of American Policy in The Middle East?

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• International Relations
• Political Science
• Geopolitics
• Middle East

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 février 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781849644594
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

An Alliance Against Babylon

ii

An Alliance Against Babylon The U.S., Israel, and Iraq

John K. Cooley

Pluto Press LondonAnn Arbor, MI

First published 2005 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA and 839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48106

www.plutobooks.com

Copyright © John K. Cooley 2005

The right of John K. Cooley to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 0 7453 2282 4 hardback

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data applied for

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Designed and produced for Pluto Press by Curran Publishing Services, Norwich Printed and bound in Canada by Transcontinental

To Vania Katelani Cooley and Dr. Alexander Cooley

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Contents

Foreword by William R. Polk Map of Iraq and neighboring countries

Introduction

1 The Babylonian heritage Ancestral memories Captives of Babylon Babylon rebuilt? The Mother of All Harlots The Jewish exiles A shrine restored “Seek the peace of the city” Ottoman power declines

2 The Ottoman Empire divided Antecedents of war Britain captures Baghdad Betrayal in the Levant Enter the U.S. The Hashemites arrive Dividing the oily spoils Wilson opens doors Palestine to center stage

3 “Operation Ezra and Nehemiah”: bittersweet flight to Zion A guided tour Jewish survivors Independence ... sort of Violence and rescue Wheeling, dealing, and mishaps “Arab” Jews who made it Whose terrorism?

4 Iraq enters the Palestine arena The roots of Israeli intelligence Resisting the British

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xi xiii

1

7 8 9 11 13 14 16 17 18

23 25 27 29 30 32 34 35 37

40 40 43 46 47 49 52 54

59 60 62

viii Contents

The Arabs prepare for war Iraq fights the new Israeli state Stalemate and Israeli victory Armistice agreements—minus Iraq BenGurion speaks

5Ménage à quatre: the U.S., Israel, Iran, and the Iraqi Kurds The Kurds’ faded dreams The Kurds’ new friends: the State of Israel Kassem contra Kurds The Israeli–Kurdish honeymoon Uncle Sam’s role The Nixon–Kissinger–Shah Axis The oil equation Iraq and the Kurds in the Cold War

6 How the CIA gave Saddam a leg up Kassem, Nasser, and Saddam James Critchfield: Cold Warrior par excellence The first Ba’athist coup AngloAmerican cooperation Saddam’s sway begins Iraq’s strategic threat to Israel Iraq in the 1967 war

7 Saddam’s reign (I): business with the U.S.; warfare with Israel U.S. business and Saddam’s triumph The July Ba’athist takeover Programs and power struggles Israel’s covert war on Saddam The MIG21 caper Saddam’s real and imagined foes Saddam and the Palestinians Black September in Jordan Syria repulsed; Iraq withdraws

8 Saddam’s reign (II): power plays and war, 1970–80 The reassurance of U.S. aid Sadat plans for war Israel’s “concept” U.S. complacency and the “oil weapon”

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63 66 68 71 74

76 77 79 81 83 85 86 88 89

93 94 96 98 99 101 104 106

110 110 112 114 116 119 122 123 125 128

133 134 135 136 138

Israeli intelligence failure Iraq to the rescue of Syria Saddam gets a breather Saddam clamps down—and seeks total power The downfall of Baqr A “cynical embrace’” Saddam attacks Iran

9 Saddam’s reign (III): defeat and defiance, 1980–90 Israel, Irangate, and the Iran–Iraq War The Osirak caper Retribution for Inman Tilting toward Saddam Reagan, Rumsfeld, and Saddam Israel’s oil concerns Western arms for Iraq Saddam’s largess for Palestinians Good cop, bad cop

10 From Jerusalem to Washington: an alliance strengthened and confirmed Missiles, “superguns,” and profits Saddam brews the Kuwait crisis Israel and “Desert Storm” Target: Saddam Hussein Kuwait freed: Saddam spared Clinton’s containment; the CIA’s bungles An Israeli peace with Saddam? Misadventures of the UN arms inspectors Clinton: “Oust Saddam” U.S. policy shifts The “neocons” at work

11 Endgame: Iraq democratized or dismembered? “Get Saddam” The Palestinian disconnection The cabal in action Mechanics of an alliance Israeli intelligence input A (militarily) wellplanned campaign The unplanned occupation

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Contents ix

140 142 144 145 147 151 152

154 155 159 162 163 166 166 168 171 172

175 176 178 180 185 185 188 189 190 192 196 197

201 202 203 205 206 207 210 212