HASHEMITE PLAN--Cheney's Plan

Submitted by pbtrue1 on Sun, 05/11/2008 - 12:09am.

US plans to merge Iraq, Jordan after war
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/KHA209A.html
by Aslam Khan
Stratfor , 26 September/ septembre 2002

The United States is working on a plan to merge Iraq and Jordan into a unitary kingdom to be ruled by the Hashemite dynasty headed by King Abdullah of Jordan with Amman as the capital of the proposed new country, reveals a startling report made available here on Friday.

The idea to unite Jordan and Iraq in a pro-US Hashemite kingdom after an American war is aimed at "ensuring a stable post-war Iraq", according to Stratfor, a strategic forecasting think tank based in the US.

It says that as a US war against Iraq nears both Washington and Middle Eastern players are working to make sure the expected American victory will result in strategic long-term gains. "The idea of a central Iraq populated by Sunni Arabs joining with Jordan to form one Hashemite kingdom is being considered as one way to secure such gains," Stratfor says.

The plan, authored by US Vice President Dick Cheney, was first discussed at an unusual meeting between Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan and pro-US Iraqi Sunni opposition members in London in July.

The plan's goal in Iraq is to create a united Hashemite kingdom embracing Jordan and Iraq's Sunni areas. In a nutshell, the plan involves uniting Jordan and Sunni-populated areas of Iraq under the rule of the current Jordanian regime.

The report says this will be done if Iraqi Sunni leaders "appeal to King Abdullah with such a request, which has a weak but still legally valid justification, as Abdullah is the second cousin of the last Iraqi king, Faisal II, who was overthrown in 1958". The report says the plan will bring strategic benefits to the US, Israel and Jordan.

Benefits for US: The fact that the Western-based Iraqi opposition completely depends on Washington will help the "Hashemite Plan". The US favours the plan because the current goal of replacing Saddam Hussein with a pro-US Iraqi government still would not guarantee long-term US control over the territory and its oil.

"First, it may become too hard for a new government in Baghdad to effectively control the whole country, even with US troop support. An example is Afghanistan, in which the government of President Hamid Karzai still controls only the capital," the report says.

"Second, the new government's attempts to establish control over all of Iraq may well lead to a civil war between Sunni, Shia and Kurdish ethnic groups, with US troops caught in the middle. The fiercest fighting could be expected for control over the oil facilities," it adds. Uniting Jordan and Iraq under a Hashemite government will give US several strategic advantages.

"First, the creation of a new pro-US kingdom under the half-American Abdullah will shift the balance of forces in the region heavily in the US favour," the report says. After eliminating Iraq as a sovereign state, there would be no fear that one day an anti-American government would come to power in Baghdad, as the capital would be in Amman.

"Current and potential US geopolitical foes Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria would be left isolated from each other, with big chunks of land between them under control of the pro-US forces," according to Stratfor.

"Equally important, Washington would be able to justify its long-term and heavy military presence in the region as necessary for the defence of a young new state asking for US protection and to secure the stability of oil markets and supplies. That in turn would help the US gain direct control of Iraqi oil and replace Saudi oil in case of conflict with Riyadh," it adds.
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http://www.profutures.com/article.php/91/

U.S. Considers Dividing Iraq Into Three Separate States After Saddam Is Gone
Gary D. Halbert
U.S. Considers Dividing Iraq Into Three Separate States After Saddam Is Gone

October 1, 2002

1. Stratfor's Latest Intelligence On Iraq.

2. Iraq Is Too Big For One New Government.

3. US Would Divide Into Three Separate States.

4. Central Iraq (Sunnis) Would Join With Jordan

5. The Shia Region Would Join With Kuwait.

6. The Kurds Get Their Own State In The North.

7. Iraq Ceases To Exist; Baghdad No Longer Capital.

8. Investment Market Implications.

A US war against Iraq appears to be only a matter of when, not if, despite the latest rumblings from a few high-level Democrats who oppose the idea. The latest Zogby poll shows that 70% of Americans believe that Saddam Hussein is a legitimate threat to the safety and security of the United States, compared to 25% who believe Hussein is just another ruler whose policies are anti-American. Most Americans also have little doubt that we will win a war with Iraq handily, complete with the removal of Saddam Hussein.

But the question I have been most interested in is whether there is any group in Iraq that can successfully manage and govern that country after Saddam and his thugs are removed from power. It would be a terrible mistake for the US to clean out Saddam & Company, only to see the country fall back into the hands of tyrants, especially religious extremists who are sympathetic to al Qaeda, in another year or two.

Most observers agree that there is no one group in Iraq who could successfully govern and manage it in the post-Saddam era, given its diverse population and different religions. Given that, what are the US and our allies to do?

Well, my good friends at STRATFOR.COM released a fascinating report last Friday. Stratfor.com is one of the most respected geopolitical intelligence services in the world. Stratfor's high-level sources tell them that one of the leading long-term strategies being considered by US war planners is one that will DIVIDE Iraq into three separate regions. Under this plan Iraq would CEASE TO EXIST.

Stratfor believes the plan would divide Iraq as follows:
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STRATFOR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE UPDATE
Uniting Jordan, Iraq post-war goal?
Establishment of Hashemite kingdom being floated in diplomatic circles
Posted: September 26, 2002

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29077
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Possible gains for U.S.

Sprinzak stated that the authors of a "Hashemite plan" are U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, both considered the most hawkish of Bush administration officials. Russian television program "Drugoye Vremya" also reports that it was U.S. officials who twice invited Hassan to meet the Iraqi opposition last summer.

(September 26, 2002 so last summer would be July, 2002 or 2001?)