Ariel Sharon has ordered Israelâs secret service, the Mossad, to step up the war against Islamic extremists, a move that will dovetail with an expected intensification of George W. Bushâs global campaign against terrorism and could even result in US and Israeli intelligence agencies working together against a common foe. This would be an unprecedented alliance that could have a profound impact on counter-terrorism and runs the risk of alienating the United Statesâ Arab friends and the Europeans.
| Tough poop, I'd say. I don't see the Egyptian intel service bumping off bad guys in concert with us... |
Sharonâs decision to extend the Mossadâs operational environment was influenced by two events  the CIAâs assassination of Ali Qaed Sinan al-Harithi, identified as a senior Al-Qaeda operative, in Yemen on Nov. 9, 2002, because that indicated the Americans were prepared to take out extremists in friendly countries, and the twin attacks in Mombasa three weeks later, considered the first by Al-Qaeda to directly target Israelis.
| Sharon was reported to have ordered Mossad to "kill the bastards" then, but we haven't seen anything happen... |
After those attacks, Sharon vowed: âOur long arm will get those who carried out these terror attacks. No one will be forgiven.â The Mombasa attacks convinced Israelâs intelligence chiefs of âthe need to stop being selective and to start dealing with what is known as âworld jihad,ââ intelligence specialist Ronen Bergman wrote in Yediot Ahronot. According to one former Israeli military intelligence source, Sharon wants âa much more extensive and tough approach to global terrorism, and this includes greater operational maneuverability.â Sharon has also earmarked a large but undisclosed increase in the Mossadâs budget to accommodate the tougher policy. When Sharon appointed retired Major General Meir Dagan, his former counter-terrorism adviser, as head of the Mossad in October 2002, it was widely expected the former general would pull out all the stops and send Israeli hit squads to gun down Islamic militants.
| But it hasn't â obviously â happened yet... |
An old army chum of Sharon, Dagan was notorious for his ruthless, bare-knuckle tactics in eliminating Palestinian militants in Gaza 30 years ago as head of an army undercover unit known as Rimon when Sharon, who made his name carrying out covert missions against Arab fighters in the 1950s, was head of the armyâs southern command. Dagan declared when he took over that his top priority would be to intensify the âwar against terrorism.â He is understood to have strengthened the Mossadâs Caesaria unit, which is said to be responsible for special operations and assassinations. Hamas officials claimed in March that Israel was planning to assassinate the movementâs political leaders, many of whom live in Gaza and the West Bank, but others live in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan and Iran. If the Mossad and the Sayaret Metkal, the elite special forces unit that frequently carries out such operations, resume targeting Palestinian leaders abroad it would extend the boundaries of the current conflict, internationalizing it â something Israeli leaders have sought to avoid in the past  and run the risk of alienating states that have had good relations with Israel.
| I hope the Hamas officials are right, and that they start with Sheikh Yassin, Rantissi, and Meshaal and Shanab, and work down from there. It's the only way to break Hamas. And then they'll have to do the same with Islamic Jihad. |
The last time the Mossad killer squads were unleashed with orders to systematically hunt down and liquidate Palestinians was when Golda Meir launched âOperation Wrath of Godâ to avenge the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Olympics. A dozen Palestinians linked to Black September, a special unit within the Palestine Liberation Organization, in Europe and the Middle East were killed across Europe over the next few years. |