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Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Haim R. Branisteanu who wrote (1142)	12/8/2001 1:16:26 PM
From: Scoobah	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 32591

BBC's cut on the situation: news.bbc.co.uk Saturday, 8 December, 2001, 09:38 GMT Gaza pounded by Israeli gunships Israel has stepped up its attacks on Palestinian targets Israeli helicopter gunships have attacked a Palestinian military compound in the southern Gaza Strip, increasing pressure on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to arrest militants. Two buildings were destroyed and there was damage to the police headquarters Eyewitness Nine rockets fired from Apache helicopters over the town of Rafah ploughed into buildings belonging to three different security organisations - intelligence, military intelligence and Yasser Arafat's personal bodyguard Force 17. Witnesses said the pre-dawn assault blew large holes in the roofs of the buildings and toppled some walls. One report said electricity supplies to the whole area had been cut off. The compound had already been evacuated and there were no reports of injuries. The Israeli army said the raid was in response to a mortar attack on Friday against Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. No injuries were reported there either. Difficult task Israel says it will continue its strikes until Mr Arafat arrests militants it blames for attacks on its citizens, including last weekend's suicide bombings which left 25 people dead. On Friday, Israeli F-16 fighter jets bombarded Gaza City police headquarters. Arafat's credibility has reached rock bottom in Israel and the US Mr Arafat told the BBC that his security forces had arrested 17 Islamic militants from a list of 34 people wanted by Israel. He said his officers would do their best to arrest the remaining militants on Israel's most wanted list, which he said the American envoy to the Middle East, Anthony Zinni, had handed to him. His remarks came as Palestinian and Israeli security officials held talks arranged by Mr Zinni in an effort to work out a ceasefire. The BBC's Kylie Morris, reporting from Gaza, says the Palestinian leader's task is made all the more difficult by Israel simultaneously bombing security targets. 'Retired terrorists' Correspondents say the Israelis appear determined to keep pressure on Mr Arafat to exert control over militant groups. But a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon denied an allegation by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit that Mr Sharon had "expressed the desire to be rid of Mr Arafat" during a telephone conversation. Arafat's security clampdown has not convinced the Israelis "The prime minister has pledged to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and US President George W Bush that he will not hurt Arafat personally," the spokesman told the AFP news agency. US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Friday that Mr Arafat was still the recognised leader of the Palestinian people, but he should do more to calm the cycle of violence. Before Mr Arafat spoke to the BBC, Palestinian security officials said they had detained about 180 militants since the weekend suicide bomb attacks. Israel dismissed most of the arrests as token. One of Mr Sharon's officials described those detained as "retired terrorists". However, Mr Sharon's office was also quoted as saying that "four or five" key suspects had been picked up.