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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (19092)	2/17/2002 1:47:43 AM
From: Nadine Carroll	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

Mall attack seen as part of Arafat's plan By Herb Keinon JERUSALEM (February 17) - Last night's suicide bombing is part of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's efforts to escalate the violence and provoke a massive Israeli response that would bring about international intervention, a senior government official said last night. Last night Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held security consultations by phone following the marked escalation in violence over the weekend. The official, a senior source in the Prime Minister's Office, said the terror attack in Karnei Shomron cannot be seen as an isolated incident, but rather part of a burst of attacks in the last few days, including the attack on the Merkava tank in Gaza on Thursday, and the firing of Kassam-2 rockets yesterday. "No doubt Arafat has a premeditated plan for escalation through a number of different methods - suicide bombings, rockets, attacks on tanks," the official said. "Each success leads to additional attacks." The source said Arafat's overall strategy is to bring about total chaos, which he thinks will bring about international intervention and force Israel to change its policies. The dilemma facing the government, the source said, is to prevent the terrorist attacks without giving Arafat the escalation he wants. Moreover, diplomatic officials have said in recent days the US is interested in Israel doing what it can to avoid an all-out escalation so as not to complicate Washington's own plans for the next stage in its war against terror. The senior official in the Prime Minister's Office said the weekly cabinet meeting today will likely discuss various tactical changes to confront the deteriorating situation. The official said that, while a few weeks ago the number of violent incidents had dropped to five a day, now the number is up to about 30 a day. The cabinet meeting is scheduled to be followed by consultations between Sharon and senior security officials to discuss the IDF's immediate plan of action. This morning's cabinet meeting will mark Sharon's first return to his Jerusalem office since falling ill during his trip to the US last week. Last Sunday's cabinet meeting was cancelled because Sharon was en route from the US, and another meeting was not scheduled during the week because of his illness. Even before last night's bombing, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said he would not bring his plan drawn up with Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker Ahmed Qurei to the cabinet until he feels he has widespread support inside the government. "I want to see if I can get a consensus inside the government," Peres said of the plan that calls for a cease-fire, dismantling of the terror infrastructure, and then establishment of a Palestinian state on land held by the Palestinians within eight weeks. After this, the two sides would negotiate a final-status agreement. "I am not interested in a discussion and a vote," Peres said after meeting with visiting German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Friday. "I would like to see a vote reflecting a majority, and not a decision marred in controversy." Fischer, whose visit was overshadowed by the violence of the last three days, said the Peres-Qurei plan is "very good" and should be "studied very carefully." Meanwhile, according to an internal Foreign Ministry document, the Palestinians have been encouraged recently by what they view as cracks in the Israeli consensus, evident in the reserve soldiers' letter refusing to serve in the territories, and by a renewal of demonstrations by the Left. The document also states the Palestinian leadership believes Arafat's recent letter to US President George W. Bush has succeeded to a certain extent in putting the Karine A incident behind them. According to the document, Arafat feels he enjoys a degree of "immunity," since the US is opposed to any action to harm him or to topple the PA. jpost.com

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (19092)	2/21/2002 2:46:46 PM
From: Elmer Flugum	Respond to of 281500

Israeli cabinet backs greater use of death squads news.independent.co.uk "Plans by Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to use yet more military force in the occupied Palestinian territories were yesterday approved by his security cabinet as the violence in the Middle East conflict accelerated still further. Mr Sharon won support for what he called a "new outline on the war on terror", as Israeli armed forces retaliated after the most deadly attack on its soldiers since the intifada began. As the region grew steadily more nervous about the backwash from the worsening conflict, Mr Sharon – who is under pressure from Israel's hard right to invade the West Bank and Gaza – told his cabinet that he was opposed to dragging Israel into a fully-fledged war. But his spokesman, Ranaan Gissin, said Israel would increase its use of "counter-terrorism" methods – a euphemism to describe the work of its death squads, which have assassinated more than 70 Palestinian suspects during the conflict despite widespread criticism. Those involved in "terrorist activity" would "always have to think about where they sleep at night", he said. His remarks came as Israel launched missile attacks on Palestinian targets from air, land and sea after six Israeli soldiers were killed on Tuesday when Palestinian guerrillas attacked a checkpoint near Ramallah. The losses were the biggest blow of the intifada to Israel's Defence Forces, already hit by embarrassing setbacks and a reservists revolt. The Palestinians appear to be focusing on Israel's occupation, by killing settlers and soldiers. Marwan Barghouti, a senior Fatah leader, said yesterday that the "struggle" had entered a new phase in which attacks would be mounted on Israeli checkpoints – seen by many Palestinians as one of the most punitive of the many measures levelled against them. By last night, 18 Palestinians – mostly security personnel – had been killed in the reprisals. In all, 40 people – 10 Israelis and 30 Palestinians, including two suicide bombers – have died since Monday, making this one of the worst periods of the conflict. Israel fired a missile into Yasser Arafat's compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah, where he has been trapped for weeks by Israeli tanks. It landed a few yards from his office and shattered windows but he was not injured. Although Mr Sharon has said he wished Israel had killed Mr Arafat during the 1982 siege of Beirut, he insists he has no intention of doing so now. His spokesman – reflecting American pressure – said Israel had no intention of physically harming Mr Arafat or of toppling his Palestinian Authority. However, though the Israelis have blown up a police post by his headquarters before, this was the closest attack on the Palestinian leader for years. Mr Arafat was defiant, emerging to declare that "the tanks and the missiles and the planes do not terrify us ... The Israelis insist on avoiding the peace process but we will raise the Palestinian flag on the walls of Jerusalem." Most attacks were early in the day but last night Israeli helicopters fired missiles into Palestinian security bases in Gaza City and the West Bank town of Jenin. Amid the mess, there is little sign of diplomatic solution. Unusually, Saudi Arabia this week proposed that Arab countries normalise ties with Israel if it quit Palestinian lands occupied illegally in 1967, including the West Bank and Gaza. But it is an offer the Saudis know Mr Sharon will refuse. Israel's Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, told Saudi television that the idea was "an interesting and positive one". But he also said the basis for progress was "putting an end to terrorist activity", meaning Palestinian attacks on Israelis." Never Again?