Palestinian Authority Dismally Failing to Stop Terrorism

by It goes on & on & on Tue Aug 12, 2003 14:41

Report, PCHR, 9 August 2003

Israeli daily terror

In the most violent Israeli military operation since the beginning of a cease-fire against Israeli targets declared by Palestinian resistance organizations, on Friday morning, 8 August 2003, Israeli occupying forces killed 4 Palestinians (two activists of Hamas movement and two civilians) in ‘Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus, and destroyed a 4-storey apartment building.

According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 03:45 on Friday, 8 August 2003, 4 armored personnel carriers, 14 military jeeps, two military bulldozers of Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with two helicopters, moved into ‘Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus, from its northeastern entrance. Israeli occupying forces reached al-Safa Street in the camp and surrounded a 4-storey apartment building in an attempt to arrest two Palestinian activists of Ezziddin al-Qassam, the military wing of Hamas movement. At approximately 04:15, Israeli occupying forces ordered residents of the building through megaphones to leave it in 15 minutes. Then, an exchange of fire took place between Israeli occupying forces and the two activists. At approximately 05:45, in an excessive use of force and in disregard for the lives of civilians, an Israeli helicopter gunship launched a missile at the third floor of the building, where the activists were hiding. The floor was totally destroyed.

At approximately 06:00, after the exchange of fire stopped, Israeli occupying forces used a number of residents of the building as human shields and forced them to enter the building to evacuate the bodies of the two activists. Approximately 10 minutes later, they evacuated one of the bodies. The victim was identified as Khamis Yousef Abu Salem, 30. Israeli occupying forces kept the body. At approximately 07:30, Israeli occupying forces planted explosives in the building and destroyed it. Then, an Israeli military bulldozer moved towards ruins of the building and started to level it, apparently to make sure that the other activist would not survive. When Israeli occupying forces withdrew from the area, Palestinian civilians started searching for the other activist. They found his body at approximately 10:00. He was identified as Fayez FarID Hamed al-Sader, 27. The body was evacuated to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus. According to medical sources, al-Sader was hit by more than 10 live bullets throughout the body.

At approximately 11:00, while Israeli occupying forces were completing withdrawal from the camp, they opened fire at Palestinian civilians who came out of homes to check on what was happening. A Palestinian civilian, Mahmoud Tayseer al-Tak, 18, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen. He was evacuated to Rafidya Hospital in a civilian car, but all attempts made to save his life failed and he was pronounced dead in the evening. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers in a military jeep fired at al-Tak from a distance of 50-60m. At the same time, Israeli occupying forces fired tear gas canisters at Palestinian civilians. Dozens of civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation, including Fawzi Ahmed Fawzi al-‘Alami, 41, who died at a hospital.

PCHR strongly condemns this escalatory military operation by the Israeli authorities and Israeli belligerent occupying forces. PCHR considers the raid, and subsequent attack on civilians resulting from the raid, severely damaging to the current peace process. By targeting members of the Hamas organization, a group that has abided by the declared cease-fire for almost three months, Israeli forces seriously undermine the sustainability of the current peace process in the region. Furthermore, PCHR asserts that Israeli use of force against civilians following the raid which resulted in two Palestinian deaths, once again demonstrates Israel’s disregard for international law and humanitarian law standards while operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Consequently, PCHR reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under the Convention and ensure protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

by Janus Tue Aug 12, 2003 14:52

It would really suit you guys if the Palestinans turned on each other and you got them to do your fighting for you. The Brits did it to us in 1922 when they found Free Staters to do their dirty work and a Civil War ensued. I doubt the Palestinians will make the same mistake.

by James B Tue Aug 12, 2003 15:08

Hamas has been using the break to manufacture further Kassam rockets, which are used to shell Israeli towns. However, the rot is far worse.

IMRA says:

On June 24, 2002, President Bush set forth the conditions that the
Palestinian Arabs must fulfill in order to merit U.S. support for the
creation of a Palestinian Arab state. Among the major obligations are that
the Palestinian Arabs must "dismantle the terrorist infrastructure," "end
incitement," "elect new leaders not compromised by terror," and
unequivocally embrace democracy and free market economics. None of those
conditions were fulfilled.

In March 2003, Yasir Arafat chose Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), the number two
man in the PLO since the 1960s, as the new prime minister of the Palestinian
Authority. Mazen took office on April 29, 2003. Less than a day later, the
Bush administration unveiled its "Road Map" plan, which set forth conditions
that the Palestinian Arabs must fulfill prior to the creation of a
Palestinian Arab state.

The Road Map stipulates that the Palestinian Arabs are required to undertake
concrete steps to combat terrorist groups and democratize Palestinian Arab
society. Those obligations, which are quoted below, were supposed to have
been fulfilled during Phase 1 of the Road Map, which concluded at the end of
May 2003, but they were not.

This report analyzes Palestinian Arab violations of those obligations during
the 14th week following the unveiling of the Road Map plan, July 29 - August
4, 2003.

I. "Cease All Violence"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map states: "In Phase 1 [May 2003],
the Palestinians immediately undertake an unconditional cessation of
violence." They did not do so. On June 29, 2003, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and
Fatah issued statements saying that they would suspend attacks on Israelis
for a period of 90 days if Israel ceases all counter-terror operations and
releases all imprisoned terrorists.

What They Did During Week #14: During week #14, July 29 - August 4, 2003,
there were at least 16 terrorist attacks, in which 5 people were wounded.

(During the first 14 weeks since Abu Mazen became prime minister and the
Road Map was published, there have been a total of 379 Palestinian Arab
terrorist attacks or attempted attacks, in which 52 people were murdered and
325 wounded.)

July 29: Shooting attack near Yitzhar; an Israeli child was wounded ... Bomb
planted near Shechem (Nablus) ... Shooting attack on Jewish sutdents in
Hebron ... Bomb planted east of Jenin ... Two mortar rockets fired at
Netzarim ... Shooting attack on Israeli soldiers in Shechem (Nablus).

July 30: Shooting attack on an Israeli Army helicopter near Tulkarm ...
Three shooting attacks on Israeli soldiers near Kadim ... Shooting attack on
an Israeli patrol jeep near Shaked.

July 31: Shooting attack on Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

August 1: Firebomb attack on an Israeli Army jeep in northern Samaria.

August 2: Shooting attack on Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

August 3: Shooting attack on Israeli motorists near Har Gilo; a woman and
her three children were wounded.

August 4: Shooting attack on Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

II. "Call for Recognizing Israel and Ending Violence"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map obligates the Palestinian Arabs
to "issue an unequivocal statement reiterating Israel's right to exist in
peace and security and calling for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire
to end armed activity and all acts of violence against Israelis anywhere."

What They Did During Week #14: No such statement was issued. On June 4,
speaking at the Aqaba summit, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) did say "we repeat
our renunciation of terrorism against the Israelis wherever they might be."
But PA Minister of Information Nabil Amr said (Doha Al-Jazira Television,
June 14, 2003): "As regards the word 'terrorism', I do not know why when the
Palestinians denounce the word terrorism, certain people think that this
means resistance. There is no text anywhere that says that the Palestinian
people's resistance is terrorism, which we denounce...Yes, we denounce
terrorism. Anyone who says that denouncing terrorism means denouncing
resistance is doing an injustice to legitimate resistance and is in effect
labeling it with terrorism."

III. "Arrest, Disrupt, and Restrain Terrorists"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map obligates the Palestinian Arabs
to "undertake visible efforts on the ground to arrest, disrupt and restrain
individuals and groups conducting and planning violent attacks on Israelis
anywhere."

What They Did During Week #14: There have been occasional media reports of
small numbers of terrorists being arrested by the PA, but then quickly
released. The Jerusalem Post reported on July 21, 2003, that a senior
Israeli Army official "said sometimes 'they [the PA police] arrest a
militant under the most comfortable conditions possible and release him'
within hours. The longest a militant has been held, he said, is four days."

IV. "Confiscate Terrorists' Weapons"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map obligates the Palestinian Arabs
to "commence confiscation of illegal weapons."

What They Did During Week #14: In mid-July, there were media reports that PA
security forces had confiscated 20 illegal weapons from individuals in Gaza.
Israel Radio reported on July 12 that the individuals were common criminals,
not terrorists. On July 14, after media reports claiming that PA policemen
were searching cars for weapons, a "senior PA security official" denied the
reports, telling the Jerusalem Post: "What you saw on television was not
real; it was part of a drill. We carried out an exercise with the
participation of 600 policemen. That's all." (Jerusalem Post, July 15, 2003)

V. "Dismantle the Terrorist Infrastructure"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map obligates the Palestinian Arabs
to carry out the "dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and
infrastructure."

What They Did During Week #14: The PA did not outlaw Hamas, Islamic Jihad,
Fatah, or any other terrorist groups; there were no reports of the PA
shutting down any bomb factories or terrorists' training camps; the PA
continued to ignore Israel's 45 requests for the extradition of terrorists;
there were no reports of the PLO leadership punishing PLO factions that are
engaged in terrorism, such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(DFLP).

Meanwhile, the terrorist infrastructure has been growing steadily. The
Jerusalem Post reported (July 21, 2003): "Hamas is utilizing the cease-fire
to build more than 1,000 Kassam rockets in an effort to change the balance
of power following the three-month cessation in hostilities, a senior IDF
officer told reporters in the Gaza Strip ... This has sparked a fear among
IDF officers that should hostilities resume, 'the opening of the next phase
in the conflict will be much more violent,' according to a Gaza brigade
commander. (...)

"Negotiation has so far served as the chief PA method for preventing
attacks, he said. Sometimes 'they arrest a militant under the most
comfortable conditions possible and release him' within hours. The longest a
militant has been held, he said, is four days.

"'There have been so many arms smuggled in that we can tell by the sheer
number that we capture that there must be much more that we don't,' he said.
Security sources have for months been publicly saying that the PA boasts a
force of 20,000 armed security personnel in Gaza alone. 'They are armed,
have enough jeeps, cars, enough ammunition, and enough courts to arrest
those men and take them to court,' said one officer."

VI. "End All Incitement"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map requires that "all official
Palestinian institutions end incitement against Israel."

What They Did During Week #14: The PA's official newspapers, television, and
radio continued to broadcast a steady stream of anti-Israel, anti-American,
and pro-violence incitement, and PA officials continued to make inciting
statements. In addition, there was no change in the PA's policy of inciting
support for terror by publicly praising terrorists, naming streets after
them, and paying salaries to imprisoned terrorists and their families.

Palestinian Media Watch reported on July 30, 2003, that official PA
Television has begun broadcasting an old film clip used to incite Arab mobs
to violence. The words accompaning the clip declare:

"Killing, Bombardment and house demolition That will not hurt our strength.
By God, we shall say hello to you, oh Jerusalem We will take our freedom. We
are your boys Palestine This is the Intifada generation We will attack while
the stones are in our hands By God, [may] your struggle be like this. We
will not surrender, and no to humiliation Even if the airplanes are bombing
us .until the liberation of Palestine our blood will not be in vain We are
your people. Oh old one [Arafat is seen on screen] We are the heroes of
stone !"

VII. "End Arab States' Support for Terror"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map states that during May 2003,
"Arab states cut off public and private funding and all other forms of
support for groups supporting and engaging in violence and terror."

What They Did During Week #14: There were no reports of any Arab states
cutting off their support for Palestinian Arab terrorist groups.

VIII. "Consolidate Security Forces"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map obligates the Palestinian Arabs
to undertake "consolidation of security authority, free of association with
terror and corruption"; and "all Palestinian security organizations are
consolidated into three services reporting to an empowered interior
minister."

What They Did During Week #14: The Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported on May 5,
2003, that "five different PA security organizations, including Force 17 and
the General Intelligence, remain under the direct command of Chairman Yasir
Arafat" and have not been consolidated under the control of the Interior
Minister. Military Intelligence, the National Security Forces, and the naval
forces are also under Arafat's control. Only the remaining two security
agencies are under the Interior Minister. Arafat's five are under the
control of a newly-created agency, the National Security Council, chaired by
Arafat and his close aide Hanni al-Hassan.

IX. "Institute Democratic Reforms"

What They Are Required to Do: The Road Map requires the Palestinian Arabs to
undertake a number of steps to transform their brutal, corrupt dictatorial
regime into a full-fledged democracy, including "action on a credible
process to draft constitution for Palestinian statehood"; the holding of
"free, open, and fair elections"; and "steps to achieve genuine separation
of powers, including any necessary Palestinian legal reforms for this
purpose."

What They Did During Week #14: No such steps were taken.
* * *
The Zionist Organization of America, founded in 1897, is the oldest
pro-Israel organization in the United States. The ZOA works to strengthen
U.S.-Israel relations, educates the American public and Congress about the
dangers that Israel faces, and combats anti-Israel bias in the media and on
college campuses. Its past presidents have included Supreme Court Justice
Louis Brandeis and Rabbi Dr. Abba Hillel Silver.

by Palmiro Togliatti Tue Aug 12, 2003 18:57

"combats anti-Israel bias in the [U.S.] media and on college campuses"

That must be a pretty relaxing place to work.

by simple simon Tue Aug 12, 2003 20:36

jobs? services? education? equality? self determination?

or maybe by building a big fucking wall (stealing another 7% of palestinain land), taking over yet more Palestinian land (Sharon announced he was building 22 new homes in the Gaza Strip), demolishing houses and shooting peace activists?

yes my friends, the choice is a tough one. Let's flip a coin...

by James B. Tue Aug 12, 2003 22:08

Hamas hasn't stopped murdering, which is why Israeli forces have been constantly after it.

As Haaretz puts it about the latest attack: Col. Harel Knafo, commander of the Shomron Brigade responsible for Nablus, had no doubts about who carried out the attack.

"This was Hamas," he said. "The whole time that this so-called hudna has been in effect there have been attempted attacks, mainly by Tanzim, but not just them. Hamas and others too."

Knafo said that his forces have arrested 10 suicide bombers in and around Nablus during the past six weeks, including two with the bomb belts already on them on their way to an attack.

He said that they had only a general warning that Hamas was going to try and carry out an attack in retaliation for last Friday's raid on a Hamas bomb factory in Nablus that killed two senior members. An Israeli commando was also killed in this raid.

Hamas was not long in confirming what the colonel said. Its military wing Izzedine al Qassam released a photograph of a bearded Oteishat brandishing an assault rifle taken shortly before the attack.

Hamas said the attack came in revenge for Friday's attack in Nablus.

"Father, don't be sad, lift your head in pride, because your son died a martyr for the sake of God," the suicide bomber was quoted as saying in a letter urging his family to celebrate his death.

Col. Knafo said there was no link between yesterday's suicide bombings other than the fact that both bombers came from Nablus.

"These attacks don't surprise us. They have been trying to organize them during the whole six weeks of this so-called 'hudna'," Knafo said. "The 'hudna' is a media concept. As far as we are concerned when we get information that someone is trying to put together an attack we try to stop it."

by kokomero Wed Aug 13, 2003 11:20

As usual the Israeli news management effort has stepped into overdrive to blame the Palestinians for everything. The pact is that the regrettable attacks happen against the background of provocation by the Israelis.

Specifically, when the Israeli government sanctioned the murder of 2 Hammas members it knew that the reaction would lead to a collapse of the ceasefire, therefore Israel wanted to provoke it's collapse.

Similarly the Israelis wanted to provoke Hizbollah in Southern Lebanon by aggressive overflights, again they succeeded.

If anything the Israeli government are manifestly contemptuous of the security of their own citizens, and are focussed on creating dissarray among the Palestinians so they can complete their land-grab in the West Bank, culminating in the imprisonment of the complete Palestinian people in 7 giant concentration-camps, with no water and no means of carrying on a normal economic life, or 8 if you include the Gaza Gulag which is already complete.

by James B Wed Aug 13, 2003 14:17

Hamas, which is financed by Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah, which is financed by Teheran, never stopped preparing their attacks. Israeli intelligence information led to the recent strikes.

The land you speak of is not Palestinian land. This is the propaganda, but there was never a Palestinian state claiming it. It is disputed land. And just look at the land area that Arab countries have and compare that to the land area of Israel. That tells you who is greedy for land and who isn't.

by kokomero Wed Aug 13, 2003 16:23

The Israelis also prepare for war, big surprise that Hammas and others do the same thing. The information about where their financing comes from is of no relevance to this discussion.

As for the usual Israeli claims about the land being disputed etc., they are untrue in the eyes of all but the Israelis. Successive Israeli governments have failed to comply with a whole series of UN resolutions since 1967 which call on them to withdraw to the pre-1967 war border, and have sought to consolidate a presence on the ground to obstruct the possibility of a return to those borders.

The policy of the present as well as past Israeli governments is one of obstructionism as far as a peaceful settlement is concerned, with "security" being a cover for continued theft of Palestinian lands aimed at making conditions so intollerable that Palestinians will leave.

The Israeli government has long accepted terrorism as the price that must be paid for continued expansion, they have only become worried since the chickens have come home to roost in Israel with the suicide bombing campaign with consequent demoralisation of the Israeli people.

As long as terrorism was restricted to areas outside Israel there was no problem, but with suicide bombings they proceed to cry crocodile tears when the inevitable Palestinian backlash comes.

The Palestinians are Palestinians first, and as a people who have been resident for thousands of years on their land have a claim to it which has been recognised by the UN.

Let me remind you that as recently as the 1920s there were more than ten times the number of Palestinians resident in what is now called Israel and the West Bank, therefore they must be allowed to retain their land up to the 1967 borders and not be displaced by a rent-a-mob of settlers from Brooklyn and the CIS, in compliance with UN resolutions.

by Seáinín Wed Aug 13, 2003 16:40

when Mossad is planting car bombs in Gaza. What part of "ceasefire" don't they understand?

Israel is a rogue state, completely out of control - it's difficult not to believe that the fascists have taken over there. Even the Americans, thankfully are waking up to this.

by James Thu Aug 14, 2003 11:29

The rogue state accusation just doesn't stand up. Try something else.

by kokomero Thu Aug 14, 2003 13:34

The following criteria have been used to classify states as rouge states in the past:

Nuclear weapons programmes: Israel has one and 200+ nukes

Chemical weapons programmes: Israel has them too

Biological weapons programmes: ditto

Denial of human rights: Israel admits to torturing prisoners as part of their normal operating proceedures

State sponsored terrorism: Mossad agents kill opponents and innocent bystanders on a regular basis

I could go on, but it is clear that Israel is a rogue state, and its' claims to the contrary that don't stand up!

by simple simon Thu Aug 14, 2003 16:05

because basically all its actions are US sanctioned? Therefore it cannot be a 'rogue state', but simply a state that engages in brutal 'state terrorist' methods. Just like the US. Surely 'Rogue' refers to not following the US's line? Israel does this, in examplery fashion i might say, old boy.

by vladimir Thu Aug 14, 2003 16:29

ONE MAN'S TERRORIST IS ANOTHER MANS FREEDOM FIGHTER !!!!!!!!!

HIZBOLLAH WILL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER FORGET !!!!

by Seáinín Thu Aug 14, 2003 19:32

Why is the US expected to be the Fairy Godmother of the world? They traditionally backed Israel as a Cold War ally and a friendly state in the Middle East. They support Israel out of self interest and due to the strong Jewish lobby in the States. This does not excuse the leaders of Israel for their policies towards Palestinians. The US is now publicly rebuking the Israeli government for transgressions.

Get it into your head that the US should not be judged on a higher moral standard than any other country.