IRAN, MOSCOW SEEN READY TO HELP PLO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230077-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 6, 2010
• Sequence Number: 77
• Publication Date: July 21, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/06: CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230077-0
ARTICLE APPEAR
ON PAGE 4 .
WASHINGTON ^INIS
21 JULY 19822
Iran, MOSCOW
seen read
y
to help PLO'
By Russell Warren Howe
%"HtNQTON MMES SWF
Iran is prepared to send 40,000 troops into
Lebanon, at short notice, to drive the Israelis
out, and Moscow has signaled that it may be
prepared to provide the airlift, Sen. Barry
Goldwater R-Ariz., told The Washington Times
yesterday.
or signaled, Washington of its intentions,
Goldwater said: "I would call it a signal; but _
I think that was carried, somewhat, in (Soviet
Chairman Leonid) Brezhnev's promise to
(President) Reagan that, if we sent the
Marines in (to Beirut), watch out!"
The former presidential candidate added:
"The Middle East right now, unless (Israeli
premier Menachem) Begin changes his spots,
is a potential source of world war. They haven't
got any other Arab countries aroused right
now; but when Iran gets into this thing, if it
does, then I think you are going to see extreme
activity."
- Goldwater said the blame for the Lebanese
crisis clearly-lay with Begin. ..., :. ,,.,.,
"What he can't understand," the'senator _{
said, "is that America promised to help Israel .'
if Israel was attacked. We didn't promise to
she was going to attack other
American troops to Lebanon, and urged direct help Israel- if
U.S. tacks with th e Palestinians'countries. As far as I'm -concerned, J.don't
want to sell another thing to Israel as long as
"We have reasoncto believe that the Russians
have either mounted or are ready to mount
an airborne attack - not bombing, but troop-
carrying - to help Lebanon."'.
The objective, Goldwater said, would be to
relieve pressure on the Palestine Liberation
Organization in Lebanon.
Asked if Moscow had expressly warned,
of the Senate Select Committee on Intelli-
gence sat : "I know, and it's own, that he
(Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini) has 40,000
troops that can be flown into Lebanon tomor-
row to fight Israe . Iraq would also help in
Lebanon.
Citing intelligence. sources, the chairman
Begin is in the driver's seat."
American arms supplies to Israel, Gold-
Water said; did not give Israel "a right to go
killing women and children and babies for
no reason at all. That doesn't sit well with
any American that I know"
Asked what pressures Washington should
use on Israel, he said: "I would just stop
sending any supplies and any equipment, and
let them know it --'We're through!' And any
supplies en route, pull 'em back! I know it
would raise holy hell among the Jewish people
of America. Hell, I'm half-Jewish myself,
but there's'a limit. My country's America,
not Israel: that's my attitude"
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/06: CIA-RDP90-00552R000202230077-0