M I D - E A S T   R E A L I T I E S - QUOTE of the WEEK ************************************************************* "News, Analysis & Commentary They Don't Want You to Know" *************************************************************** SLAUGHTERHOUSE IN PERSIAN GULF IF U.S. ATTACKS SAY IRANIANS *************************************************************** . DESTROYING IRANIAN MILITARY POWER NOW A U.S./ISRAELI/SAUDI GOAL . MER - There should be no doubt that the Americans and Israelis, supported under the table by the Saudis who tremendous fear Iran, are preparing for possible destruction of the Iranian military. The Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, and others have actually discussed such matters in public. Should there be another "terrorist" attack against Americans in Saudi Arabia, or elsewhere in the area; or should some other plausible excuse take place -- such as an airline bombing or an attack of some kind in the USA -- the American military might well be unleashed against Iran this time. Hence recent warnings from the Iranians about closing the Straights of Hormuz, counterattacking against U.S. and Israeli targets, and making a slaughterhouse out of the Gulf, should be understood as reactions by Iran to the serious possibility that they are next in line in the list of countries the U.S. and Israel want to prostrate. The following brief AP report, and the quotes attributed to the head of the Iranian military, are thus of considerable significance. . "PERSIAN GULF BELONGS TO THE REGIONAL COUNTRIES... U.S. SHOULD LEAVE . TEHRAN, Iran (AP) 6/30/97 - Iran's top military commander has said his country does not intend to start a war with the United States, but promised to turn the Persian Gulf into a slaughterhouse if attacked. ``If the Americans one day decide to attack Iran, then they will have committed suicide because the Iranians will turn the region into a slaughterhouse for them,'' said Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaie, commander of the 120,000-strong Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Iran's main fighting force. His comments, published Sunday in the English-language Kayhan International daily, coincided with the start of four days of Iranian amphibious military exercises in the Persian Gulf. The United States has about 22,000 troops in the area, a region Iran long has considered in its sphere of influence. ``The Persian Gulf belongs to the regional countries and the Americans should leave it,'' Rezaie said. ``Iran has vital interests in the region and is going to defend its interests.'' Iranian officials say they are concerned over U.S. warships in the gulf, particularly in the wake of American threats to retaliate if Iran is found to be behind a June 1996 bombing in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. servicemen. Iran has denied any role.   . M I D - E A S T     R E A L I T I E S (202) 362-5266, Ext 638 Fax: (202) 362-6965 MER@MiddleEast.Org *************************************************************** To receive MER weekly just send a message to: LISTSERVER@MIDDLEEAST.ORG with only the words SUBSCRIBE MER-L in the subject and message areas. *************************************************************** For previous MER information, commentary, editorials & Readers Comments: http://WWW.MiddleEast.Org