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| Middle East |
| Israeli Troops Conduct Searches |
| 2002-06-01 |
| Israeli troops staged wide-ranging operations in the West Bank Saturday, making arrests as they searched for Palestinian militants in four cities and villages. The almost daily Israeli forays into Palestinian territory have come to resemble police operations carried out with tanks and armored personnel carriers. Probably because that's what they are. If the PA had any real cops, they'd be doing the job... In the largest raid, Israeli troops searched house to house for a second day Saturday in the Balata refugee camp. Soldiers rounded up Palestinian men ages 15 to 45 on Friday, and after checking identity papers, put about 100 in trucks and drove them to a nearby military base. All of them no doubt sober, church-going boys with no involvement in terrorism. No idea how they got on the list... The soldiers also patrolled the deserted streets of Nablus, which is under curfew, and made arrests Saturday in a residential area near Al-Najah University, where many students live. A group of men defied the curfew and attended prayers at the mosque in Nablus' Old City. An Israeli armored personnel carrier fired on them as they were leaving, killing Tareq el-Kharaz, 24, Palestinian doctors said. The Israeli army said it was checking the report. "Curfew" means stay indoors. It doesn't mean "go outside and ignore the tanks and troops while you do what you want." Troops also entered the nearby village of Tamoun, about 10 miles northeast of Nablus, using small explosive devices to break down the doors of some homes, Palestinians said. The army said seven suspects were arrested. Soldiers in armored vehicles also entered Bethlehem's Dheisheh refugee camp before dawn, where they arrested one suspect before leaving several hours later, the army said. At a checkpoint leading into Bethlehem, a Palestinian woman attempted to stab an Israeli soldier, the army said. She was overpowered by the soldier and taken into custody for questioning. First question: "What were you thinking?" |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |