Saddam's Secret Weapon

By Richard Lacayo.

If the U.S. and its allies attack Iraq, Saddam Hussein is all but certain to strike back with a long-range weapon of his own: international terrorism. In a speech last week, the Iraqi leader hinted again at a terrorist offensive when he threatened that if war breaks out he would spread his nation's battle to "the whole world." The most likely targets of terror would be American citizens and property abroad. But shadowy pro-Iraq groups might also try to open a second front within the U.S.

Among Saddam's allies are the Abu Nidal organization, believed to be responsible for some of the most savage terrorist attacks in recent years, and Abul Abbas, mastermind of the 1985 hijacking of the Achille Lauro. But Saddam has also larded Iraqi diplomatic missions with potential terrorists. Says a former member of Saddam's feared secret police, the Mukhabarat: "There are teams outside Iraq ready to do many things. About 80% of Iraqi embassy personnel overseas work for the Mukhabarat."

Last week the State Department announced that it has evidence that terrorists supported by Iraq are planning attacks "in most regions of the world," with the Middle East and Europe the most likely locations. Recently the department has been getting reports of suspicious characters, some equipped with video cameras, who appear to be staking out U.S. embassies and the homes of American diplomats. Their mission could be to learn the embassies' security precautions and the routes that staff members take to and from work.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher urged Americans traveling abroad to take extra precautions. U.S. military bases in Germany have already beefed up security. American citizens in the Bonn area have been advised by the U.S. embassy to vary their daily routes. To protect their workers, three U.S. corporations -- Ford, Chrysler and 3M Co. -- last week banned or sharply restricted employee travel to nearly all destinations outside the U.S.

The prospect that Saddam's sympathizers might strike in the U.S. has federal law-enforcement agencies scrambling. Last week the government ordered stepped- up security at airports and told nuclear plants to be on guard. Federal agents are photographing and fingerprinting everyone entering the U.S. on Iraqi or Kuwaiti passports. Thousands of the Kuwaiti documents were confiscated by Iraqi occupation forces after the Aug. 2 invasion.

The FBI has also begun questioning Americans of Arab descent, including business and community leaders, who are not suspected of terrorism. That has led to accusations that the government is suggesting that the nation's nearly three million Arab Americans are potentially disloyal, as it suggested about Japanese Americans during World War II. "If the FBI suspects somebody, go get them," says Fozi Ahoury, a San Diego businessman who was questioned last week. "But don't go after people because of their ancestors."

William Baker, assistant FBI director for criminal investigations, says agents are merely putting out the word that Arab Americans should contact the FBI if they come across any information that might prevent a terrorist act. A second purpose of the FBI visits, he says, is to assure Arab Americans that if they are harassed, agents will launch investigations into possible civil- rights violations. Those are worthy objectives. The trick for the FBI is to achieve them without becoming another source of harassment.

With reporting by Sylvester Monroe/Los Angeles and Rhea Schoenthal/Bonn, with other bureaus