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the White House in Washington,
D.C., as a result of sol id indications
that elements involved in the
Mid~
die East violence had threatened to
carry out attacks against President
Ronald Reagan and his administra–
tive staff in the United States.
Concrete barriers were put in
place around the executive man–
sion. Then carne reports that
ground- to-air missiles have been
placed on alert against a literal
kamikaze-like airplane attack.
Experts in terrorism warn that
governmental buildings in Wash–
ington, the world's most open capi–
tal, are virtually defenseless against
this new style of warfare, much of
it imported from overseas because
of U.S. involvement in Middle East
disputes. Said Ray Cline, a security
expert: "The weapon of the '80s
just might be the half-ton pickup
truck loaded with explosives."
Who's Responsible?
After the attacks in Kuwait, an orga–
nization called the Islamic Jihad
(fs–
lamic Holy War) called a
Beirut news agency to
claim responsibility. The
same group had claimed
responsibi lity earlier for
the October 23 attacks in
Lebanon as well as the
Aprill8 attackon the U.S.
Embassy.
The Iranians are ac–
cused by American offi–
cials of working with fel–
low Sbiite political-mili–
tary groups in Lebanon
tbat have become imbued
with the fervor of the Iran–
ian revolution espoused by
the Ayatollah Khomei.ni.
In highly sectarian Leb–
anon, Shiite fundamental–
ists are implacably op–
posed to Western military
forces whom they see as
military props behind the
weak government of Presi–
dent Amín Gemayel. The
Gemayel government, the
Shiites understandably
contend, is strongly biased
toward Maronite (Christian) Arabs,
the traditional moneyed class in
Lebanon.
American intelligence believes
that the one who masterminded the
October su icide bombings was
Hussein Mussavi, leader of tbe
Shia Muslim Party of God. Mus–
savi denies it, though he told a
Times
of London reporter: "I per–
sonally consider this deed is a good
deed which God !oves and which
his prophet-may God praise his
name- loves. [ bow before the
souls of the martyrs who carried
out this operation."
The Gulf War
For more than three years, a bloody
war has raged between Iran and
Iraq. Syria suppor ts Iran in the
str uggle while France is Iraq's
main Western ally and arms sup–
plier. The fact that in October the
French command post was de–
stroyed- and not the l talian or the
British post-is viewed by Ameri–
cans as another clear indication of
involvement on the part of Iran and
its supporters.
The Iran-lraq war has already
proved to be incredibly bloody.
Sorne estimates put the number of
dead so far as high as 500,000,
many of them the result of human
wave attacks by lran's revolu–
tionary guards. For its part, Iraq
has suffered the loss of 50,000 dead
and another 50,000 captured.
It is generally believed that Iran,
richer and more populous, is grad–
ually wearing Iraq down in this war
of attrition. I raq's oil route out
through the Gulf has been blocked,
cutting revenues to the Baghdad
regime, forcing it to rely on vast
monetary grants from Saudi Arabia
and the smaller Gulf states. These
all are worried over the spread of
revolution from Iran.
In a further escalation of the
Gulf conflict, Iraq has received
from France five Super Etendard
(Continued on page 39)
Deadly conftict between lran and lraq
at the head of the oil-rich Gulf is weU
into its fourth year. [raqi prisoners,
far left photo, are forced to undergo
"rehabilitation" to ideals of Ayatollah
Khomeini's revolution. Smaller Gulf
states fear being overthrown if Iran is
victorious.
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