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| Middle East |
| If it's Friday it must be Jenin... |
| 2002-06-07 |
| Israeli tanks entered the West Bank town of Jenin on Friday morning and patrolled the outskirts of Bethlehem before daybreak, witnesses said, underlining Israel's intention to maintain a high-profile military presence after a string of Palestinian attacks. About 20 tanks rolled into Jenin, at the northern edge of the West Bank, the witnesses said. Soldiers declared a curfew, confining residents to their homes. The Israeli military called the operation a "routine patrol." Israeli forces also declared curfews in five villages near Jenin, residents said. A teenage bomber who blew up an Israeli bus with an explosives-laded car on Wednesday set out on his mission from Jenin. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, but Israel blamed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, charging that he has done nothing to stop the attacks. Poor old Yasser, having trouble remembering people's names and what day of the week it is, is no more capable of stopping the attacks than is some guy named Gus in Akron. They're totally out of his control. Israel can't control the boomers either; all they can do is punish them. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |