
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 25, 1991                   TAG: 9103250243
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

DATA ON IRAQI ARMS WITHHELD FROM ISRAEL

IN 1985, Jonathan Pollard [an American later convicted of spying] transmitted information to Israel that Iraq had poison-gas weapons and gave the location of the manufacturing sites.

The U.S. intelligence community was obligated by executive agreement to inform Israel of such threats. However, it chose not to do so. Why? Caspar Weinberger, our defense secretary, believed that Iraq was essential to the defense of Saudi Arabia, which was deemed threatened by Iran.

Had Israel been given the information needed to destroy those Iraqi poison gas plants before they became operational, Scud attacks would not have happened. ALVIN W. FINESTONE CLIFTON FORGE

by CNB