Posted on 05/06/2004 8:43:24 AM PDT by yonif
Police called off a terror alert Thursday afternoon in the northern Sharon region, near Umm el-Fahm. The forces had gone on alert due to warnings that a terrorist had infiltrated from the West Bank into Israel.
Security forces were deployed along the Trans-Israel Highway and along the seam line. They also blocked off access between the highway and the area between Baka el-Garbiya and the Barkai junction.
Security forces had earlier called a terror alert for the central Sharon region - near Petah Tikva, Rosh Ha'ayin and Kafr Qasem - but moved the focus of the alert north a short time later and then called off the alert entirely.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat fortified his West Bank headquarters with piles of old cars and barrels of concrete, fearing an Israeli invasion was imminent, Palestinian officials said Thursday.
Sharon said last month he is no longer bound by a promise to U.S. President George W. Bush not to harm Arafat. Earlier this week, Israeli troops briefly surrounded Arafat's Muqata compound during an overnight raid. The army said Arafat was not the target of the raid, but Palestinian officials said the veteran leader fears for his life.
"We have a real concern that they may come here," said Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat.
Dozens of old cars were scattered throughout the main courtyard outside Arafat's headquarters Wednesday. Hundreds of blue barrels filled with concrete were spread throughout the area, in a move to prevent tanks from moving in. Cement trucks were in the compound Thursday filling more barrels.
Palestinian officials said Arafat knows the measures can't stop Israeli bulldozers and tanks, but that he refuses to be taken alive.
"Arafat will resist any attempt to arrest or get into his office," Erekat said, adding that he fears "the end of the game" will be the killing of Arafat.
Israeli security officials said there were no immediate plans to attack the Palestinian leader. But they said Israel has a standing plan on how to snatch Arafat from his headquarters and expel him.
Israeli fire kills would-be gun-snatcher
A Border Policeman on Thursday shot dead a Palestinian man who tried to snatch the weapon of another policeman near the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron, Israel Radio reported.
Also in the West Bank, an Israeli woman was very lightly hurt after shots were fired at her car near the settlements of Alei Zahav and Peduel. Israel Defense Forces troops began searching the area for the gumen, the radio said.
IDF troops in the West Bank village of Anabta near Tul Karm late Wednesday arrested Rafat Nassif, the Hamas chief in the Tul Karm area, the radio quoted Palestinian sources as saying Thursday. The IDF has not confirmed the report.
According to the sources, IDF troops surrounded and conducted searches in several houses in the village, before arresting Nassif.
The sources said that Nassif was a member of the political leadership of the terror movement, and was wanted by the IDF for the past two years.
Yeah, right. Like we haven't heard that tune before. Funny how, when the chips are down, the cretins always seem to be captured alive.
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