Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 6, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba A11 Winnipeg free press focus tuesday july 6, 2004. The Middle East Syria Iran feeling threatened Jordan offers troops to Allawin israeli agents May be in Iraq Jordan a embassy in Baghdad was among the first to be bombed in August 2003 by the . Insurgency. T he offer by Jordan a King Abdul Lah to Send troops to Iraq does not signal an immediate change in Amman a policy which is to not take an open part in the War against the former iraqi regime. It does constitute however a diplomatic gesture of Confidence in the new iraqi interim govern ment headed by Iyad Allawin. King Abdullah a offer is consistent with Jordan a discreet support for the removal of Saddam Hussein. Abdullah allowed . Green berets and other special forces to operate from Jordan into what is known As the scud Box from which iraqi scud missiles were launched into Israel during the 1991 Gulf War. Since the fall of Baghdad last april Jordan helped Paul Bremers administration in several Fields. It provided translators for the interrogation of iraqi prisoners and helped train in Jordan hundreds of officers for the new iraqi army and thousands of recruits to the new iraqi police. Jordan now has a contract to train customs officers and civil aviation personnel. Assistance King Abdullah paid dearly for this assistance. His embassy in Baghdad was among the first to be bombed in August 2003 by the . Insurgency result ing in the killing of 11 people. Jordan a offer is unlikely to be accepted by Allais government. This subject was discussed however by King Abdullah with Egypt a president Hosni Mubarak who is recuperating in Munich from a minor surgery of a slipped disc. More importantly Abdullah a offer to Iraq prompted an immediate and unscheduled visit by syrian president Bashar Assad to Tehran. Both Assad and the iranian president Muhammad Khatami discussed the implications of such a deployment for their own National Security. Both have called for the departure of All occupation forces from Iraq. Both Syria and Iran Are accused by the . And the new iraqi government of providing training Logis tics and Money to various insurgency groups in Iraq. The most notorious among these groups is the Mahdi army led by the iraqi shiite cleric Mortada Al Sadr. Easterners see a Nightmare Curtis Kangas in his june 30 letter liberals used fear not reasoning says that canadians voted More out of fear than reasoning. I suggest that in fact it was a very reasoned fear. He also talks of the visions that westerners have. He should realize that when easterners look to the West and see some of the leaders we pro Duce ? Manning Klein Stockwell Day and Harper ? they Don to see a vision but a Nightmare. Trevor Dandy Winnipeg interruptions while eating Are rude have you Ever been dining in a restau rant carrying on a conversation with friends and All of a sudden you Are rudely interrupted ? your Mouth is full or you re sipping on your Favourite beverage when you have to quickly Swallow so As you May politely answer the interruption. It happens All the time and if you ignore the rude interruption they stand there and ask How everything is again. I have just returned from a vacation to the czech Republic Poland and Ger Many. I dined in restaurants two to three times a Day while vacationing. I was in the mum & pop Corner restau rant All the Way up to a dress code restaurant. Once your meal was served not once does anyone Ever come to ask a silly question. The waiters waitresses Are watching you All the time. If one needs something All that is needed is a hand motion. Once the last piece of cutlery was Laid Down then the restaurant staff would come Over pick up plates etc., and then ask very politely How was your meal sir in Europe they do not come Over and ask questions while you Are enjoying a meal. It was so very Nice not to be both ered like i am when dining out in restaurants Here in Winnipeg. Doug m. Abraham Winnipeg transit an option for u of w students in response to Raj Bassis june 25 let Ter parking a problem for u of w Stu dents i would like to suggest a solution to his troubles. As a graduate of the University of Winnipeg who attended the Campus for several years while living on the perimeter Edge of the City i never had any problems parking. I would like to suggest that or. Bassi realize the advantages of a Down town Campus and look to Public transit for his transportation needs. In Winnipeg a City of modest size a bus from the perimeter to downtown often Only requires 45 minutes which can be used for studying. Furthermore Winnipeg transit offers a monthly discounted pass to students making transit the Only affordable method of transportation for any student on a budget. This expense is nothing compared to the Cost of insuring and running a vehicle. I would also Point out the Large parking garage across the Street from Assad a Surprise visit to Tehran came amid fresh reports about the presence of israeli Mossad agents in the kurdish Semi autonomous Region in Northern Iraq. Both Syria and Iran feel threatened by such a presence if indeed it exists. Israel denied categorically these reports. The alleged israeli presence in North Ern Iraq was published first by american researcher Seymour Hersh in an article published last month in the new yorker Magazine. Hersh claimed that hundreds of israeli agents were gathering information in Kurdistan about Syria a and Iran a involvement in pro iranian terrorism in Iraq. This allegation was repeated this week end by Gen. Janis Karpinski the suspended commander of Abu Gharib prison. In an interview with the bbl Karpinski said that she met an israeli interpreter in an intelligence Centre in Baghdad. Other reports said that israeli Mossad agents were interrogating former iraqi Intelli gence officers who were involved in sad dam Hussein a assistance to various palestinian terrorist groups in the West Bank and the Gaza strip. Israel denied Karpinski a allegations As Well. The free press reported exclusively twice in recent weeks about israeli companies who in partnership with Ameri can european turkish and jordanian companies were seeking to take part in the reconstruction of Iraq. One israeli irrigation company even signed a $300?million contract for a Survey of irrigation possibility in an arid zone in the Oil Rich Region of Kirkuk. But to the Best knowl Edge of this writer no israeli company is Active in Baghdad or in the sunni Trian Gle around Baghdad. According to other sources former israeli Security officers have established in the . Several consultancy firms that May have trained american civilian con tractors and their employees who went to Iraq. Such training was conducted in the . But not in Iraq. The reports about israeli presence in Kurdistan and the possible deployment in future of jordanian troops in Iraq make Syria very nervous. Clashes president Assad is reported to be suspecting that the recent clashes with Syri an kurd in Damascus and in the kurdish Region of a Amishi in Northeast Syria was fomented by iraqi kurd under the guid Ance of israeli agents. These clashes were interpreted As a warning to Syria that if it does not Stop the flow of iranian Assis Tance to Lebanon a Hezbollah iraqi kurd could stir violence against Assad a regime. The University where ample parking is available at a reasonable Price. If More u of w students took the bus they would realize that it is not Neces sary to leave a class that they paid a heavy tuition to attend in order to move their vehicles. This behaviour though not uncommon is rude to professors and students alike. With a shift in How we navigate and View the downtown area perhaps Park ing will cease to be a problem. Esther Van de Walle Winnipeg Canada will be watching Martin for the next two years canadians will be watching Paul Martin to see if he will follow through on his pledges and promises. Almost in desperation along with the pledges he pleaded vote for the doonesbury Canada you want and at the expense of other parties we voted Liberal still wondering if Martin got the Chance would he deliver. It seemed to me he was immensely relieved when they pulled up a minority. He can to forget. It will be a time in parliament to learn More about the Harper conservatives. It will be a time to reach out to progressive movements in Quebec to see where respectful co operation could Benefit both nations. Now is the time to prepare for the next election and we want Long term commitments no government can get out of. Scare tactics will not work next time. Canadians voted for the Canada they wanted. Better representation of what the people want would rest on a different voting system. Margaret Maier Winnipeg the alleged israeli presence in North Ern Iraq caused some tension Between Israel and Turkey. Reports in the turkish press about such a presence were attributed in Israel to turkish foreign minister Abdullah Gul who paid last week an offi Cial visit to Beirut the first such visit in 21 years. King Abdullah a offer to Send troops to Iraq if officially requested by the iraqi government is unlikely to be accepted in the immediate future. Neighbours instead the new iraqi Premier Iyad Allawin has already asked for Security assistance from Egypt Oman and Bahrain. Allawin explained that Iraq will not accept troops from its immediate Neighbours because each of these coun tries could Side with various religious and ethnic iraqi groups. Such a move could destabilize the nascent iraqi regime. Thus Allais statement excludes for now military assistance from Iraq a immediate Neighbours ? Jordan saudi Arabia Kuwait Iran Syria and Turkey. The iraqi formal and Public position is expected to be clarified later this week when Allawin or his foreign minister Hishyar Zebari Are expected to present the evidence of syrian and iranian sub version in Iraq. Letters to the editor the free press welcomes letters from readers. They must include the authors name address and Telephone number. Letters May be edited. Letters to the editor 1355 Mountain Avenue Winnipeg r2x 3b6. Fax 697-7412. Email Why let bars stay open later As far As the question of changing Winnipeg a bylaw to allow bars to stay open later All i can say is Why Winnipeg has lots of great night clubs bars Pool Halls you name it. But is there any reason Why they need to stay open All night so people can have fun Why would anyone want to stay out until 5 . Dancing find something else to do afterwards go to a Coffee shop hang out at a friends House. Think about the employees at such places who work such late hours to entertain us. Be glad that Winnipeg already has such a great display of nightlife. Or do something else entirely besides go to a bar. That is not where the City begins and ends. Kathryne Cardwell Winnipeg by Garry Trudeau ;