Former Utah Congressman Wayne Owens says "peace" among governments will come in the Middle East, but violence and terrorism may never end in the region.
Owens, who specialized in Middle Eastern politics while in the U.S. House, has just quit as a lobbyist for the king of Jordan. In his law practice, Owens still has several private clients in the Middle East and travels there almost monthly.He doesn't see a war between Israel and its Arab neighbors. But he does see violence. "There is a new war coming, the new dynamic of terrorism" aimed at stopping peace between governments, Owens told a meeting Monday in the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.
"If you define peace as an absence of violence, I don't see that happening," said Owens, a Democrat who held the 2nd Congressional District from 1986 to 1992 when he lost a race for the U.S. Senate.
"But considering what has happened now in Oklahoma City, peace as an absence of violence won't be coming to any of us. But if peace means governments won't fight, that is coming (in the Middle East). I'm sure of it."
A July 1 deadline for Israelis to turn more power and land over to Palestinians will be met, said Owens, although a number of people now don't see how.
But even as the Middle Eastern governments come to peace, the world will see more and more violence and terrorism, he believes.
"Israel won't give up its nuclear weapons until there is real, lasting peace in the region." And he guesses some Arab states will continue their drive to get such weapons to balance out the power.
"I believe that within a decade we'll see a nuclear weapon placed in one of the world's major cities. Whether (those with the weapon) want a ransom or just to cause immense pain (by blowing it up with no warning), we'll see."
Owens expects more terrorism in the Middle East, especially in Israel, because Yasser Arafat will attempt to control the "revolt within the revolt."
"Every time a revolution ends, those bringing the revolution have a hard time controlling some of their dissatisfied members." Thus, the more radical wings of the PLO will continue attacking Israelis and may even start attacking established PLO officials who support the peace, he said.