Posted on 12/07/2002 5:12:20 AM PST by SJackson
Jerusalem — Israel should treat last week’s missile attack on a civilian airliner in Mombasa, Kenya, as though it had ended in “true disaster” and adjust its response accordingly, said Ephraim HaLevy, head of Israel’s National Security Council.
Two shoulder-launched missiles fired at the Arkia airlines plane narrowly missed the aircraft as it was taking off on Thursday.
“From a national perspective, it would be correct to treat the Mombasa attack as if it had ended in true disaster, and examine our new reality as if a terror attack of enormous proportions has been perpetrated against Israel,” HaLevy said at the opening of the third Herzliya conference on the Balance of Israel’s National Security.
“When terror acts of such magnitude succeed, rules of conduct and operation change immediately,” said HaLevy, who is a former head of Israel’s secret service, the Mossad.
“The meaning of this emerging threat amounts to genocide...against the state of Israel and the destruction of our nation’s basic principles,” he said.
“Against such a threat, Israel possesses a wide and diverse range of abilities, which are best left undisclosed prematurely.”
The remarks came after reports earlier this week 10 Kenyans and three Israelis, including two brothers, ages 12 and 13.
According to a report in London’s Sunday Times, Sharon summoned Mossad chief Meir Dagan and told him that war had been declared on Israel by the global Islamic terror syndicate. “Change your priorities and get them, one by one,” Sharon reportedly said.
The so-called “sleeper” agents are codenamed “Warriors.” They volunteer to live undercover in Arab countries and are only activated if war breaks out. In that case, their mission is to undermine Arab plans to attack Israel.
The last time the agents were activated was 30 years ago when then Prime Minister Golda Meir ordered the Mossad to assassinate Palestinians involved in the 1972 massacre of Israeli athletes and coaches at the Munich Olympics.
During the following six years, all but one of those involved were killed. (CNSNews.com)
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