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| Israel-Palestine |
| Israel says they have turned the tide |
| 2004-06-20 |
| EFL Israeli Army officials say that through a combination of aggressive and defensive tactics, they have thwarted a series of planned Palestinian attacks and have kept militant groups on the run. Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash, the chief of Israel’s military intelligence, disclosed to a committee in Parliament on Wednesday that two weeks ago, Israeli forces had blocked what would have been one of the largest attacks ever by the Islamic militant group Hamas, arresting six suicide bombers who had planned to blow themselves up simultaneously. Israeli officials credit their success in blocking such attacks to increased experience in identifying potential bombers, as well as to a separation barrier they are building all along the West Bank and the killings and arrests of militant leaders. There has not been a major suicide bombing involving civilians since mid-March, and no Israeli civilians have been killed in any kind of Palestinian attack in six weeks. "We’re now bearing some of the fruit of our prolonged, sustained effort which began with Operation Defensive Shield in April 2002," said Capt. Jacob Dallal, an army spokesman, referring to the armored Israeli assault into several West Bank cities. "Our grip on the situation is better, and our ability to thwart attacks is better, and the fence has proven very effective." The barrier, which is one-third complete, has almost eliminated attacks in northern Israel, he said. There were 63 deaths from bus bombings on the east-west road between Afula and Hadera in 2002, but only 3 last year after the barrier was completed there, Captain Dallal said. From the start of the second intifada in September 2000, there have been about 150 suicide bombings in Israel. The last major bombing was on March 14 in Ashdod and killed 10 Israelis. The last bus bombing in Jerusalem was on Feb. 22, when 8 people were killed and 60 wounded. In 2003, 23 bombings killed 144 Israelis, army officials said. There have been only eight attacks so far this year, killing a total of 34 people. The army continues its aggressive pursuit of leading militants. Just this week, an Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile at a car carrying Khalil Marshoud, whom the army described as the Aksa Martyrs Brigades commander in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus, killing him and a second militant. The army said he had planned eight suicide attacks. On Wednesday, Israeli commandos attacked a restaurant in Jenin and killed Majed al-Saadi, a member of the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #2 Heh. Dead terrorists don't kill any more of anyone, including their buddies. It's a downside I can accept. :-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-06-20 7:35:26 PM |
| #1 strange - dead terrorists don't kill any more civilians, do they? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-20 3:42:47 PM |