Nov 24th 1979
“Iran – Fanaticism Threatens World Peace”
Folha da Tarde

This article addresses the Iranian crisis and its consequent loss of prestige by the Jimmy Carter administration, with its implications on the possibility of his reelection.

It mentions both the hostage crisis and the impact the crisis could have on the dollar exchange rate, while affirming it was improbable an armed conflict could happen.

The article closes by quoting a statement made by Henry Kissinger, according to whom Carter’s biggest mistake was having allowed the overthrow of the Iranian shah.

Sept 29th 1980
“Middle East – Hatred Prevails over Reason”
Folha da Tarde

The article analyses the causes for the war between Iraq and Iran, claiming that the territorial disputes were just an excuse for a conflict that had stronger religious reasons. The rivalry between the Shiite and Sunni sects of the Islam is viewed as the primary reason for Saddam Hussein having invaded Iran, besides the fear that the Iraqi Shiite majority might try to topple down his government and put a sharia-based Islamic republic in place.

While pointing to Hussein’s ambitions of becoming the leader of the Arab world, the article lists several attempts of unification among the Arab nations, none of which has ever lasted, due to the personal ambitions and banners of different Arab leaders, such as Muammar el Khadafi. The conclusion is that, in Middle Eastern foreign policy, hatred and personal ambitions prevail and logic never works, while Russia takes advantage of the situation to consolidate its presence in the region.

Oct 10th 1980
“Israel’s Action in the Destruction of the Plant”
Folha da Tarde

The article speculates as to whether Iran or Israel had bombarded the Iraqi nuclear plant 30 km from Bagdad, concluding the second alternative was much more likely. It comments on the precision of the attack, which unlikely would have been carried out by the Iranian Air Force. It mentions details of the attack, comparing its precision to the attack of the Egyptian air forces on soil, carried out by the Israeli Air Force in 1967. In relation to the distance between Bagdad and Israel, the article mentions that Uganda was four times farther away and that the Phantom airplanes were fueled on air during operation Entebbe.

Reference is also made to declarations by Israeli officials to the effect that Israel would do everything in their power to prevent Iraq from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The article then describes the nuclear agreement between France and Iraq, and the series of sabotage acts against the Iraqi nuclear program. It closes by affirming that not only Israel but also the other Arab states would like to see the program fail.

March 3rd 1982
“Who Commands International Terrorism?”
Folha da Tarde

The article sketches the soviet influence on international terrorism. It starts describing the role of Carlos “Chacal”, a Venezuelan leftist terrorist, in articulating the alliance between the KGB, Islamic terrorist organizations – such as the PFLP and the PLO – and Latin American and African guerilla groups fighting in El Salvador, Angola and Nicaragua. It mentions a declaration by Leonid Breznev in 1973 suggesting that the soviet bloc should explore terrorism as an instrument of its foreign policy. It also quotes Yasser Arafat as saying that the Latin American guerillas and the Palestinian terrorists had the same enemies. It concludes that the Soviet Union nourishes localized terrorism as a replacement for traditional war when it serves their interests, suggesting many terrorist attacks against Israel resulted from this kind of cooperation, which included training, espionage and supplies of weaponry, as well as financial support.

Feb 24th 1983
“Middle East: Moscow’s tentacles”
Folha da Tarde

The article says the weapons supplied to Syria by Moscow had been surpassed by Israeli weaponry. It also mentions part of the Russian equipment had been captured by the IDF and sent to the Pentagon. It describes the kinds of weapons used and those Russia had reportedly sent to Syria after the Lebanon war, asserting the main goal of Russian support was not destroying Israel, but securing Russia’s position in the Middle East.