Posted on 03/10/2002 9:27:32 AM PST by 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.
Follow the money. Who paid this guy? Dollars to doughnuts it is the Saudi's.
Hey- maybe that's what he dived off in the bushes to do ;-)
I agree, this is not aiming at some target, but at moving personal who will be firing back and who will be calling on support.
Tony
During the 80s the IRA made a few contacts in the Middle East, and I guess with the Para militaries concentrating more on punishment beatings there would be a number of the more expert types looking for work.
It could also be a Balkan veteran after all a large part of that was a snipers war.
Tony
As i'm an avid reader, and like to get aquainted with the enemy, I read the republican 'An Phoblacht'. Interesting reading what the IRA said about the 9/11 attacks - 'the US has reaped what it has sown with its foreign policy in the middle east'. Still the IRA supporters here, will continue to support them.
My reaction to the report was - IRA. I found the Croats and the Serbs were the best snipers in the Balkans, and the muslims left a lot to be desired, but they made up for it at close quarters.
I've always felt that the IRA had debts to pay in the middle east. The muslims terrorists are now calling in there debts, perhaps this is the start of many more such attacks.
Den.
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