| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Al-Qaida in Israel / Fertile ground for terrorism |
| 2008-07-20 |
| The uncovering of a second Arab-Israeli cell with ties to Al-Qaida in the space of a few weeks does not quite suggest that an attack by international Islamic terrorism is imminent. But we are still able to learn two things: that among Arab Israelis, like the Palestinians in the territories, there is growing support for the messages of Al-Qaida, and that the Israeli security services are also countering terrorist plans also through the Internet. The Bedouin men from Rahat who were arrested several weeks ago on suspicion of providing information on Israeli sites of possible attacks by Al-Qaida (including Ben-Gurion International Airport), and the cell on whose arrest a gag order was lifted Friday, operated in similar ways. In the latter case, the suspects are two Arab Israelis from Nazareth and Taibeh, who linked up with four Palestinians living in East Jerusalem. Their religious-ideological commitment was directed toward a terrorist plot (the six belonged to a religious study group at the Temple Mount). The cell contacted people linked with Al-Qaida through the Internet, collected basic information on possible targets and sought instruction on ways to carry out the attacks. It still seems they were a long way from being able to carry out any attacks. There is something a bit deceptive about the Shin Bet security service announcement, according to which the six joined "the Al-Qaida organization" in February this year. Israeli intelligence almost never uses the term "organization" to describe Al-Qaida and prefers the description "international jihad movement." Al-Qaida is seen today as a loose network of organizations, which shares an extremist Islamic ideology and does not abide by a detailed and organized hierarchical structure. If anyone is imagining the six were sworn in to the organization in the middle of the night by Osama bin Laden, then he is in for a disappointment. It is a lot more likely that they communicated in Internet chat-rooms with individuals like themselves, who could have been a Pakistani youth in London or agents in Tel Aviv. The latest case also attracted some international attention because U.S. President George Bush's name came up in relation to it. One of the suspects took a photograph of the helicopter landing pad on which the president's helicopter was scheduled to land in Jerusalem, and asked for instructions on ways to target it. However there was a long way to go between the suspect's wishes and a practical plan: He lacked both the means and the technical expertise to strike at the president. What the cell did do, according to the indictment, and this is by no means minor - is to collect basic intelligence for an operation. The collection of intelligence, as well as the wish of Arab Israelis and Palestinians with 'blue' (Israeli) identifications, to carry out serious terrorist attacks, is troubling. No less troubling is the growing identification they sense with the agenda of Al-Qaida, which is much more extremist than that of Hamas or of the extremist wing of the Islamic Movement in Israel. For some years now the public declarations of Bin-Laden and his aides have increasingly focused on Israel and Jewish communities around the world as targets for terrorist attacks. It is also known that cells linked with Al-Qaida operate with relative ease in the Gaza Strip. The desire of Al-Qaida to operate in Israel is finding fertile ground. There are those who will willingly offer assistance - and therefore the likelihood of a strike by international jihad on Israeli soil (similar attacks have already taken place in Jordan and Sinai) is of reasonable likelihood. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #2 Al Qaeda's reputation has taken a nosedive in the middle east because they've murdered so many Muslims. Politically, they NEED some high profile anti-joo attacks. |
| Posted by: Bin thinking again 2008-07-20 22:13 |
| #1 the likelihood of a strike by international jihad on Israeli soil (similar attacks have already taken place in Jordan and Sinai) is of reasonable likelihood. Not if you publically hang the ones you've caught, then bury them in pig lard. I'm sure the word will get out. Then deport the families of these sh$$heads to some Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank. Also, start putting a few mild restrictions on Israeli Arabs, cranking them up each time you discover one of these "cells". Pretty soon, the Israeli Arabs will either learn to behave, or they'll leave of their own accord. It's time to quit putting up with this BS, in Israel AND in the US. Squeeze the "enablers" until they hurt, then squeeze them some more. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-07-20 16:53 |