IRA link to PLO examined in hunt for deadly sniper

Sunday Telegraph ^ | 3/10/2002 | Sean Rayment

[l33t]

BRITISH security officials are looking into suspicions that a crack sniper who killed 10 Israeli soldiers and civilians on the West Bank a week ago might be an IRA gunman.

Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, has asked European and American security agencies if they can help to identify the killer, who shot dead seven soldiers and three civilians in 25 minutes using 25 bullets from a bolt-action rifle.

The sniper was hidden in trees on a hill overlooking an army checkpoint near the Jewish settlement of Ofra. When he fled, he left behind his weapon, which is standard IRA practice.

The attack last Sunday shocked the Israeli Defence Force. Mossad believes that the sniper could be an IRA agent or special forces-trained contract killer.

The Sunday Telegraph understands that British security officials have been checking whether any known IRA members capable of carrying out the shootings or training others to do so have gone abroad in recent weeks.

One security official said: "To be able to get 10 kills in 25 minutes using 25 rounds without being spotted means this guy is good. He could be a former member of the IRA; he could be a former member of a special forces unit. He is clearly well trained."

The IRA is known to have links with the Palestine Liberation Organisation and other Middle East armed groups, and at least one member of the IRA's army council is known to speak Arabic. The security official added: "Many IRA men and women have been trained in camps in the Middle East and north Africa."

Training and tactical exchanges between the IRA and other terrorist groups is not unusual. Last year, four alleged IRA members were arrested in Columbia and charged with terrorist offences after allegedly training members of the Revolutionary Forces of Columbia (Farc) guerrillas.

Last October, a European security conference in France concluded that new links had been created and old ones regenerated between the IRA, Basque separatists and Farc.

British security forces are well aware of the IRA's sniping skills. During the 1990s, nine soldiers and policemen were murdered by snipers in South Armagh.

[Shooter 2.5]

Wouldn't it be much more possible if this individual came from Chenya? Was the person really this good or was it because the Israelis were really this bad?

[l33t]

It does appear that the sniper was a mercenary and pretty professional.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

"To be able to get 10 kills in 25 minutes using 25 rounds without being spotted means this guy is good. He could be a former member of the IRA; he could be a former member of a special forces unit. He is clearly well trained."

10 kills using 25 rounds is the mark of a mediocre, at best, to p*** poor sniper.

[l33t]

Even if the weapon used was not a sniper rifle, but an old carbine outfitted with scopes?

[BushMeister]

10 kills using 25 rounds is the mark of a mediocre, at best, to p*** poor sniper.

Well, once the first guy loses his head, the others don't exactly stand around waiting to be shot, so the guy was obviously very good with his weapon.

[AsYouAre]

10 kills using 25 rounds is the mark of a mediocre, at best, to p*** poor sniper.

Well, there you have it. I guess just about anybody should be able to pick off the Israelis.

[FreePaul]

I have never seen in any of the articles on this any mention of the distance from sniper to target. That would have something to do with determining the quality of shooting. Also I suspect at least some of the victims were taking cover by the time they were shot.

[Catspaw]

Try al Qaeda. You know, OBL's friendly group of terrorists that attacked the Pentagon and the WTC.

There have been sketchy reports that al Qaeda members were finding their way back to Lebanon.

[JamesWilson]

On hearing this the guy second down in the patrol (usually the SC in a regular patrol) dived for cover in a nearby ditch....

LOL! Yeah, good for him! If it were me, I'd have to change my underwear.

[Shooter 2.5]

Until the yardage is printed, I'm not going to say if the sniper was any good or not. I read that some of the soldiers were hit as they ran toward the hill. I need more information on this.

[Iris7]

I've been wondering for some time about the lack of rifle attacks in the Israel situation. The reliance on military carbines, designed to make the average person brave behind a spray of fire, is ineffective in attack compared to riflery. (Except from moving vehicles, of course.) This is a very large jump up in the situation's seriousness, as much more serious men are required to carry it out. I don't see IRA or others like them as being necessary to explain the situation. Likewise the Chechens, who have no reputation for riflery.

[Shooter 2.5]

You forgot to factor in the amount of the wounded. This sniper wasn't a poor shot. The only question remains is whether he was a good shot or a great shot. This would be whether the yardage was impresive or not and the actions of the Israelis to this new threat.

[Shooter 2.5]

I saw a picture on the web of an al Qaeda member with a Dragonov. There's probably a famous but unnamed sniper in every conflict since rifles bacame effective.

[kellynla]

This story is total unadulterated B.S. Signed Expert Marksman U.S.M.C.

[BlackVeil]

Yes, there are rumours among the Palestinians that a Chechyn (sp?) sniper has somehow got in and is roving the hills. The death of an Israeli military policeman, picked off his motorcycle with one shot to the head, while speeding through the Negev desert, is another notable recent event which has caused plenty of speculation. The Chechyn sniper may be an urban myth, of course. Yet stranger things have happened in reality. I have an extra word to add, which is how did he get in? Why not as a "Russian Jewish immigrant"? Israel will accept anyone from Russia who can show Jewish ancestry. Some of these immigrants have been very odd types indeed, criminals etc. into drugs, prostitution and weapons trading. But I always wondered if a dedicated terrorist or spy might not come in through this channel. If he is Israeli, it would make it much easier to get away.

[Southack]

"10 kills using 25 rounds is the mark of a mediocre, at best, to p*** poor sniper."

I disagree. The sniper was firing one round per minute, racking up ten Israeli kills in 25 minutes while the Israelis were undoubtably shooting back at him.

This sniper was outnumbered by more than 20 to 1, yet inflicted enough casualties to make his point without paying any personal cost in exchange.

Even most well-trained commandos can't do that very often against IDF troopers.

The clues that he is not Palestinian are legion, too. For one, he's sniping at low value targets where he can make kills and then escape, rather than going for a high value target where he likely wouldn't escape. That's not just well-trained, that's seasoned and non-ideological. Also, leaving the weapon behind suggests that he's using a tried-and-true escape plan (i.e., masquerading as a civilian). For another clue, he was primarily targeting professional soldiers, and only as a side project sniped at passing civilians. Palestinians prefer to kill civilians first so as to inflict maximum fear.

This guy's methods are mercenary writ large.