Posted on 01/19/2004 5:13:13 AM PST by SJackson
For the first time [Hamas] used a female fighter and not a male fighter and that was a new development in resistance against the enemy
a href=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3395973.stm> Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
Translation: How Hamas Turned Adulteress Into Suicide Bomber
Alex Fishman, Yediot Ahronot 18 January 2004 Military sources claim that the terrorist Reem Al-Reyashi, who blew up four days ago are the Erez Crossing and killed four Israelis, was forced to carry out the suicide attack - as punishment for cheating on her husband.
A few hours after the suicide attack the Hamas published the will of the 22 year old mother who became a terrorist. With a broad smile on her face and a rifle in her hands Al-Reyashi read her shocking desire: "I always wanted to be the first woman who sacrifices her life for Allah. My joy will be complete when parts of my body fly in all directions."
But information that reached Israel regarding the situation that lead Al-Reyashi to carry out the attack raises a completely different picture. According to this information this is not a cold blooded terrorist, steeped in faith and madness, who chose out of free will to turn her two young children into orphans - but instead a woman who was forced to carry out the act.
According to military sources, the terrorist paid a cruel price for being involved in an illicit love affair and was forced to sacrifice herself in order to clear her name and the honor of her family.
IDF sources said that already at the beginning of the investigation it turned out that Al-Reyashi's husband, an activist in the Hamas organization, not only knew about his wife's plans in advance - but even encouraged her to carry out the suicide attack. This even though he knew that with his wife's death he would be left to raise their two small children alone. Another thing turned up from the investigation: the person who was chosen to recruit the 22 year old Al-Reyashi to carry out the suicide attack and equipped her with the explosive belt was none other than the lover with whom she cheated on her husband. The British Sunday Times reports in this morning's edition that the husband even drove his wife to the Erez Crossing.
In contrast to previous female suicide bombers, Reem Al-Reyashi had no family member who had been hurt in the course of the Intifada. She is the daughter of one of the established families in Gaza. Her father was the owner of a large factory for the production of batteries in Gaza that markets most of its production in Israel. The IDF refuses to believe reports that the family of the suicide bomber was shocked to discover what she had done.
This morning the entrance of workers from the Gaza Strip to Israel will be renewed - but the security demands will be stricter. From now on workers will not be allowed to enter Israel with bags or satchels - including bags containing food. Workers who wear shoes with heels will be barred entrance. They will also be barred from bringing back things from Israel when they return.
The investigation of the attack over the weekend finds that the suicide bomber tried to enter the Israeli side of the Erez Crossing twice. When she passed the first time the metal detectors sounded an alarm and Al-Reyashi was asked to leave. After a short time she joined a group of female workers and returned, but the metal detector sounded an alarm again. The terrorist was asked to remove her jewelry but even after she did that the electronic detector continued to sound an alarm. The terrorist was only allowed to enter after she burst into tars and begged to be allowed to pass.
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