(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - During his visit to Washington, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz got sympathetic receptions from the Pentagon, State Department, and White House. The meetings went longer than planned, the atmosphere was hearty, and there was plenty of readiness to help. He now has a direct line to National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. It wasn't Mofaz's charm, of course, behind much of that warmth. The Americans want to make sure they keep Israel happy in the coming months so it doesn't get in the way of their plans for Iraq. As a result, they reiterated promises to act during the initial stages of the war against any missile launchers in western Iraq, as well as offer help to the home front.
2002-12-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive