Israel is secretly helping the US to train a special commando force to find the remnants of Ba'ath Party activists and Saddam Hussein loyalists behind some of the attacks on US troops in Iraq, the latest issue of New Yorker magazine reports.
According to the American report, when the Pentagon decided to fight back against the attackers, it consulted Israel because of its experience dealing with "terrorists".
The report added, citing unnamed American and Israeli military and intelligence officials, that Israeli advisors in commando warfare and intelligence gathering worked with Americans at a training facility in North Carolina as well as in Israel.
American and Israeli officials refused to confirm the report.
One of the key tactics promoted by the Israeli experts, the report said, is an assassination program against Iraqis believed to be behind the anti-American campaign.
The Pentagon has already decided to target "hostile Ba'athists" and is currently attempting to implement these methods.
The main hardship is getting information about Saddam loyalists, so the Americans are trying to win over former Iraqi intelligence officers to gather information on suspects for the commando unit to target.
The US magazine further said the Americans could set up units like the camouflaged Israeli army and Border Patrol units that move throughout Palestinian neighborhoods dressed up as Palestinians. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
