TIME: Almanac 1993/TIME Almanac 1993.iso/time/012191/0121016.000

Text File | 1992-08-28 | 3.8 KB | 88 lines

                                                                                THE GULF, Page 35

Saddam's Secret Weapon


Will terrorists open a second front in the U.S.?


    If the U.S. and its allies attack Iraq, Saddam Hussein is
all but certain to strike back with a long-range weapon of his
own: international terrorism. In a speech last week, the Iraqi
leader hinted again at a terrorist offensive when he threatened
that if war breaks out he would spread his nation's battle to
"the whole world." The most likely targets of terror would be
American citizens and property abroad. But shadowy pro-Iraq
groups might also try to open a second front within the U.S.

    Among Saddam's allies are the Abu Nidal organization,
believed to be responsible for some of the most savage
terrorist attacks in recent years, and Abul Abbas, mastermind
of the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro. But Saddam has also
larded Iraqi diplomatic missions with potential terrorists.
Says a former member of Saddam's feared secret police, the
Mukhabarat: "There are teams outside Iraq ready to do many
things. About 80% of Iraqi embassy personnel overseas work for
the Mukhabarat."

    Last week the State Department announced that it has
evidence that terrorists supported by Iraq are planning attacks
"in most regions of the world," with the Middle East and Europe
the most likely locations. Recently the department has been
getting reports of suspicious characters, some equipped with
video cameras, who appear to be staking out U.S. embassies and
the homes of American diplomats. Their mission could be to
learn the embassies' security precautions and the routes that
staff members take to and from work.

    State Department spokesman Richard Boucher urged Americans
traveling abroad to take extra precautions. U.S. military bases
in Germany have already beefed up security. American citizens
in the Bonn area have been advised by the U.S. embassy to vary
their daily routes. To protect their workers, three U.S.
corporations -- Ford, Chrysler and 3M Co. -- last week banned
or sharply restricted employee travel to nearly all
destinations outside the U.S.

    The prospect that Saddam's sympathizers might strike in the
U.S. has federal law-enforcement agencies scrambling. Last week
the government ordered stepped-up security at airports and told
nuclear plants to be on guard. Federal agents are photographing
and fingerprinting everyone entering the U.S. on Iraqi or
Kuwaiti passports. Thousands of the Kuwaiti documents were
confiscated by Iraqi occupation forces after the Aug. 2
invasion.

    The FBI has also begun questioning Americans of Arab
descent, including business and community leaders, who are not
suspected of terrorism. That has led to accusations that the
government is suggesting that the nation's nearly three million
Arab Americans are potentially disloyal, as it suggested about
Japanese Americans during World War II. "If the FBI suspects
somebody, go get them," says Fozi Ahoury, a San Diego
businessman who was questioned last week. "But don't go after
people because of their ancestors."

    William Baker, assistant FBI director for criminal
investigations, says agents are merely putting out the word
that Arab Americans should contact the FBI if they come across
any information that might prevent a terrorist act. A second
purpose of the FBI visits, he says, is to assure Arab Americans
that if they are harassed, agents will launch investigations
into possible civil-rights violations. Those are worthy
objectives. The trick for the FBI is to achieve them without
becoming another source of harassment.


By Richard Lacayo. Reported by Sylvester Monroe/Los Angeles and
Rhea Schoenthal/Bonn, with other bureaus.