Iraq to join Palestinians
in Israel attack?

Editor's note: WorldNetDaily brings readers exclusive, up-to-the-minute global intelligence news and analysis from Geostrategy-Direct, a new online newsletter edited by veteran journalist Robert Morton and featuring the "Backgrounder" column compiled by Bill Gertz. Geostrategy-Direct is a subscription-based service produced by the publishers of WorldTribune.com, a free news service frequently linked by the editors of WorldNetDaily.

Iraq's military has launched plans to attack Israel in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority.

U.S. officials said Saddam appears to be coordinating with PA Chairman Yasser Arafat in efforts to stage anti-Israeli and anti-U.S. attacks in the Middle East. The Palestinians are said to have provided Iraq with intelligence information on Israeli targets.

Western intelligence sources said Iraq has 450,000 soldiers and 2,700 tanks organized in 30 divisions. The Republican Guard has nine divisions; elite units that protect Saddam amount to three divisions. The sources said Iraq is believed to be spending nearly $2 billion a year on the military.

Major suppliers are said to include Belarus, China, Russia and Serbia.

TRENDING: Is America having a near-death experience, or is this the end?

Saddam, who convened his leadership on April 7, also has increased his support for the Palestinian war against Israel. The officials said Baghdad has raised its stipend to the families of those Palestinians killed in fighting Israel to $30,000 from $10,000. The money is said to be directed toward Palestinian suicide-bombers.

Iraqi Defense Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmed said Iraqi forces are training and equipping for a military campaign against the Jewish state. Ahmed said Iraqi forces will be in the forefront of an Arab war against Israel.

"The armed forces will be the cutting swords in the liberation of our territories in Palestine, including Jerusalem, usurped by the Zionists," Ahmed said in a telegram to President Saddam Hussein. "It is continuing its training and its mission is facing up to the forces of evil and oppression, represented by criminal America and its odious Zionist ally."

Ahmed, in a telegram quoted by the Iraqi News Agency, did not specify military plans or equipment being deployed for the operation. The Saddam regime has called for the mobilization of 6.5 million volunteers in the war against the Jewish state.

A similar telegram was sent by Saddam's younger son Kusay, who said Iraqis are prepared to defend their country. Kusay has been deemed as the favorite to succeed his father as ruler of Iraq.

Iraq also has called on Arab and Islamic countries to impose an embargo on the United States and other allies of Israel. Iran and Libya have expressed interest in the proposal.

In Washington, President George W. Bush said the United States would ensure the removal of Saddam from power, regardless of whether he approves the return of United Nations weapons inspectors. Bush did not specify whether this would mean a military campaign against Baghdad.

"The policy of my government is that he goes," Bush said. "The worst thing that could happen would be to allow a nation like Iraq, run by Saddam Hussein, to develop weapons of mass destruction and then team up with terrorist organizations so they can blackmail the world. I'm not going to let that happen."

RELATED: Al-Qaida prepares for major attack over Christmas

Subscribe to Geostrategy-Direct.