Posted on 07/24/2005 8:13:02 AM PDT by Valin
JERUSALEM, July 24 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda seeks to strike at Israel but there is no concrete indication such an attack is imminent, a senior Israeli official said on Sunday.
Bombings in Britain and the Egyptian Sinai have stirred speculation the Jewish state, which Osama bin Laden has long vilified, could be high on the group's hit list.
But Danny Arditi, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's top counter-terrorism advisor, said: "We have no information, for now, on intended al Qaeda operations against Israel."
"My assessment is that we are slowly coming into their sights," he told Israel's Army Radio. "They are getting closer, but they are not yet close."
With Palestinians fighting a 4 1/2-year-old revolt, some have asked whether al Qaeda could be drafted in. The speculation gained momentum when al Qaeda blew up an Israeli-owned hotel and tried to shoot down an Israeli airliner in Kenya in 2002.
But while Islamic militants in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip share al Qaeda's hatred of Israel and use suicide tactics to kill and maim in the same way, experts say doctrinal differences preclude cooperation between the groups.
Al Qaeda operates worldwide, targeting non-Muslims and moderate Muslims alike.
By contrast, Hamas and kindred Palestinian factions limit their attacks to Israeli Jews and have sought political accommodation with more secular compatriots.
Hamas was quick to disavow al Qaeda-style bombers who killed at least 88 people, most of them Egyptians, in the coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday. It and other Palestinian factions also condemned the recent London bombings.
The Abdullah al-Azzam Brigades, a group claiming links to al Qaeda, said it was behind the bombings in the Egyptian resort, but experts cast doubts on the authenticity of the claim.
"We demand that Muslims and Arabs unite in their efforts against the Zionist enemy and not to waste their efforts here and there," said Mushir al-Masri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza.
EYES ON GAZA
A senior Israeli intelligence analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel fears Hamas hardliners, unhappy with signs the group could shift towards the Palestinian political mainstream, might break away in favour of al Qaeda.
"We will be looking to Egypt to help stop al Qaeda elements reaching Gaza after our withdrawal," the analyst said.
But Efraim Halevy, a former director of Israel's spy service Mossad, saw another external agent keeping al Qaeda out -- Iran.
"You could say the Iranians beat al Qaeda in terms of reaching the Palestinians," Halevy said, repeating longstanding Israeli charges that the Islamic republic has encouraged attacks by some Palestinian factions opposed to Middle East peace moves.
"Apart from that, Hamas rules the roost and will not give ground to an outside group like al Qaeda," Halevy said.
Iran, which does not recognise Israel's right to exist, says it is not involved in attacks from the West Bank and Gaza. But Iranian-linked Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon have acknowledged giving some support to Palestinian militants.
Israeli officials have also accused Hizbollah of trying to recruit members of the Jewish state's Arab minority, which makes up almost 20 percent of the population. But there have not been similar allegations of an al Qaeda presence among Israeli Arabs.
After the attacks on Israeli targets in Mombasa, Sharon ordered Mossad to hone the hunt for al Qaeda abroad.
A few months later, a militant accused by Israeli security sources of running an al Qaeda cell was killed by a car-bomb in Ein el Hilwa, a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
Lebanese security sources have said they believe there are two groups linked to al Qaeda operating in Ein el Hilwa, but denied that support is widespread.
The reason being ---- they KNOW Israel will respond in a VIOLENT, focused and destructive counterattack.....
We need to get a hell of a lot more violent, destructive and feared....
Semper Fi
Nah, ya think. I think it'll take the "Christmas season" to finally change the way libs are viewed in this country. Liberals and Democrats are the enablers of the terrorists.
I'm not the only one that has thought that during the Christmas season when everybody is all wrapped up in bulky clothing, the suicide bombers will head towards the malls.
Guerrilla warfare is fought by hitting where and when you don't expect it. That is what we're involved with. A worldwide guerrilla war with islamo-facists. We need to fight them in the manner that you fight an anti-guerrilla operation. This includes the Philippines, Indonesia, South America and Mexico... to name a few. There is a worldwide movement that is joining forces and all the libs and Dems can think about is how it's our fault and to "spend more aid" overseas to pay off the American haters.
If everybody can remember back just a very short while what 1 (juvenile) sniper did to the capital of the US. That was only 1. With the border so porous and the libs willing to ban guns that they'll blame for the deaths and not the snipers, I see a recipe for disaster in our country unless we become more vigilant.
Roger your last....
But --- You're preaching to the choir...
Semper Fi
Israel has the bomb. Israel will use the bomb.
Using a single (or even multiple) bomb/s would be not enough - it would be enough to deter a government, but as nothing if intended to deter a diffuse movement with large popular support base. And to go after that base one would need to deter the population - i.e. to threaten them with credible and successful genocide. Carpet nuking of very large areas could do it, but is is within Israeli capabilities?
"is is" should be "is it"
Doubtful the cowardly murderers want to find out just what Israel will do if attacked.
A guy hanging in or around some god-forsaken village/cave out of the way (and not in or around an obvious target) would be practically unvulnerable. Look at the current AQ big sh*ts for an illustration, and I'm talking here about a village preacher and a guy who contributes to his collection plate. And carpet-nuking the areas of AQ support [to prevent its regeneration] would take thousands of warheads, more than a couple hundred Israel is believed to have.
Neither would the United States be in al Qaeda's sights if we jettisoned political correctness and dealt with the Islamic enemy as an enemy,
What makes you think we're not.
Well it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why.
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