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British Jews brace for possible outbreak of suicide bombings
Ha'aretz ^ | Last update - 09:26 20/05/2002 | By Sharon Sadeh, Ha'aretz Correspondent

Posted on 05/20/2002 9:58:17 AM PDT by Cinnamon Girl


A pro-Palestinian protester, with a fake explosives belt, demonstrating near London's Trafalgar Square. (Photo: Fernando Cavalcanti)

LONDON - British Jews recently began an organized effort to prepare for a possible outbreak of suicide terrorism, but those involved decided to keep the effort under wraps to avoid causing panic.

On Wednesday Jewish activists and rabbis will meet with the Israeli group Zaka - the Haredi Rescue and Recovery voluntary organization - to discuss Jewish law procedures for evacuating the bodies of terrorist victims. Zaka is preparing a seminar to train volunteers to evacuate and identify victims of terror attacks, based on experience and lessons learned in Israel.

The course begins in June and dozens of volunteers have indicated an interest in registering for it. Experience accumulated in Britain during incidents such as the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 disaster at Lockerbie will be reviewed.

But the Jewish community is not alone in believing it is just a matter of time until a mass suicide attack reaches Britain. British security sources say Scotland Yard and intelligence experts are worried that the suicide terrorist phenomenon could soon arrive in Britain, and local security forces lack the know-how or means to counter such a threat.

This assessment was reinforced several months ago when a senior delegation from Scotland Yard visited Sri Lanka and Israel to study how both countries deal with suicide attacks. The British visitors got an unequivocal message - suicide bombings will increase in the coming years, and not just by radical Islamic groups, but by militant secular organizations seeking to spread terrorism.

Israeli security officials briefed Barbara Wilding, who led the Scotland Yard delegation, on how the suicide tactic has gradually spread in the Middle East. A source knowledgeable about British security forces told Ha'aretz: "The use of suicide bombers has become a ritual that crosses borders and organizations, and is regarded as an efficient response to the intelligence, military, and technological superiority of the security services in the West. In the Middle East, we've seen how the use of this weapon has been developed and improved by Hezbollah in Lebanon, and then copied by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, and lately moved over to secular organizations like Fatah or the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Now these organizations recruit men and women alike for these operations."

According to this source "suicide attacks are regarded today in Britain and among other security services in Europe as a general threat, because the concept of martyrdom could also take hold among extreme Christian right-wing organizations, and there are already some signs of this in the United States. The concern is that Europe might be the next target for these types of attack."

Scotland Yard has formed a special committee led by Wilding, the head of security at Scotland Yard, to handle the threat of suicide terrorism. Relying on lessons drawn from the experiences of security services in Israel, the U.S. and Asia, this team is devising preventive procedures.

The Sunday Times reported last week that the task force is studying how to deploy snipers against suicide bombers and has asked the Home Office to design robots like those used in Israel to detect and disarm explosives. But some security experts are saying these efforts are "too little, too late."

Pro-Palestinian activists have received logistic and financial support from left-wing organizations, as well as encouragement from some Labor Party MPs, including George Galloway, who is married to a Palestinian, and Jeremy Corbyn. At a discussion at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies on May 2, Galloway was reported as saying: "The suicide bombers are freedom fighters, not terrorists. I salute all of the fighters and all of the martyrs of Palestine ... Children throwing stones and becoming suicide bombers are heroes ... we must support the PLO and assist them in wiping out the Zionist entity."

Galloway's alleged comments apparently contravene British laws against incitement and promotion of terrorist attacks. Ha'aretz contacted Galloway for a reaction, but he was unavailable by press time.

As reported in Sunday's Ha'aretz, a week ago 20 pro-Palestinian leftists tried to storm the Israeli embassy in London. Embassy guards, reinforced by British police, repulsed these protesters. News of the attack was suppressed from the media for a week - again to avoid alarming Britain's Jewish community.


TOPICS: Breaking News; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: hughhewitt; muslimsinlondon
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
Tom posted about the non news of the attack on the Israeli Embassy in London:

Wonder how much of this kind of news is being supressed here?

With the left wing maggot infested ownership of our major fishwraps, I would not be surprised if they spiked or buried any story of any attack of a Jewish synagogue, business or whatever. The French Press tried this recently, and the world got out via the internet and satellite tv, and they and their government had to scramble around. The moment that any Islamic mosque is ever attacked in America, it will be front page hate crime news.

81 posted on 05/20/2002 4:52:03 PM PDT by Grampa Dave
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
There is a way to solve the terrorist problem in our midst. All the homocide bombers/homocide hijackers are of a certain ethnic group/religion and of a certain age. Simple round up all members of this demographic. House them in unused baseball and football stadiums while the FBI sorts them out. Jail the most dangerous, deport the illegals and the less dangerous and release the completely innocent. One radiological bomb and it will happen anyway.
82 posted on 05/20/2002 4:55:09 PM PDT by Former Proud Canadian
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To: 10mm
I think that is a rational response and I would encourage all law enforcement types to adopt it.

Ultimately, however, homicide bombings will only continue as long as the perceived benefits outweigh the costs.

To change THAT equation is going to require the West to adopt much harsher actions in the advent of such bombings. The retaliation for such a bombing must be as brutal and as horrifying as the bombing itself -- and must be precisely targeted.

Homicide bombers are going to have to be made aware that their family -- their loved ones -- their property will face immediate and sure destruction should they blow themselves up.

The leaders of those organizations conducting the bombings -- including Arafat, every one of his deputies, and the leadership of the PFLP, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the rest of Fatah -- need to have it impressed directly into their skull that the next homicide bombing traced to their organization will result in their deaths. That goes most specifically for that "shiek" in his Gaza wheelchair.

A lot of people have tried to claim that homicide bombings are acts of desperate rebellion by lone actors, but this is obviously not the case. In fact, if it were the case, the suicide bombings would not be anywhere near the threat they are. Sickos like that are relatively easy to detect.

83 posted on 05/20/2002 5:03:56 PM PDT by Ronin
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To: Kate22
There are many Muslims living very peacefully in the UK, along with many other communities. They are good law abiding people who don't deserve to be tarred with any brush.

Easy...Put them to the test...Use George B's rule...They're either with us or against us...They support us or they support the terrorists....NO PHONEY NEUTRAL POSITION...

You again see thousands of muslims jumping up and down on the streets of Detroit in support of the air-plane bombers, shoot 'em on sight...They are clearly not with us...

If there are any good muslims, they need to separate themselves from the bad ones SO WE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE...They have proven that you can't just assume they are good because you haven't caught them wearing a belt bomb...A wide brush??? How about a roller, or a sprayer....

84 posted on 05/20/2002 5:18:59 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: Sally II
... we're not dealing with just another popular world religion, we're dealing with cult behavior ...

Someday people will look back on our tolerance and say "Why did they put up with this for so long??"

85 posted on 05/20/2002 5:28:31 PM PDT by Anamensis
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
2) Petition the Government relentlessly to secure our safety.

Ask your Representative why he or she hasn't yet co-sponsored Rep Dave Weldon's (R-FL) Terrorist Admission Prevention Act or TAP ACT (HR 4010). The bill would bar admission of aliens from:
(i) Afghanistan.
(ii) Algeria.
(iii) Egypt.
(iv) Lebanon.
(v) Saudi Arabia.
(vi) Somalia.
(vii) United Arab Emirates.
(viii) Yemen.
(ix) Any country designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.

86 posted on 05/20/2002 6:34:46 PM PDT by RodgerD
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To: Aggie Mama; albee
If you can't figure that out, see post #34.
87 posted on 05/20/2002 6:49:57 PM PDT by happygrl
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To: monkeyshine; 10mm
That is no different than waving a realistic-looking gun around, pointing it at people. I couldn't agree more with you.
88 posted on 05/20/2002 6:52:08 PM PDT by FreedomPoster
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To: RodgerD
RE:86.

Roger that.

89 posted on 05/20/2002 6:54:34 PM PDT by Mad_Tom_Rackham
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
Seems to me that, if there are Muslim faithful who desire to live in peace with their neighbors, now would be a good time to hear this, and perhaps to bring about a reformation.

The Turks show some signs of this. The rest appear totally out of control. The Muslim "street" is right there with the 9/11 homicide/suicide bombers, from what I can tell.

90 posted on 05/20/2002 6:58:49 PM PDT by FreedomPoster
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To: Kate22
There is a difference between multi-culturalism and multi-colorism. West Indians are, for the most part, Christian, though black. That is far different than, say, Bosnians, who may be white, but Muslim.

America is filled with Christians of all colors and ethnicities who pose no problem or threat.

Islam is a different culture, with values antithecal to democracy. If you dispute this, show me an Islamic democracy.

Don't use Turkey as an example, as its own people have seen the threat which an Islamic government poses and therefore ban Islamic parties.

91 posted on 05/20/2002 7:03:09 PM PDT by happygrl
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Threads like this one should be crossposted to Islamic forums. If they try their Jihad crap over here, we will be less tolerant than the Israelis.
92 posted on 05/20/2002 7:09:31 PM PDT by 10mm
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Comment #93 Removed by Moderator

To: itsahoot
She does, and God tells US to give them the money.

MEGA MEGA BUMP !

If only those uninformed knew how true this is !

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse:

and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

Genesis 12: 2-3

94 posted on 05/20/2002 7:13:26 PM PDT by happygrl
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To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
Profile them. Arrest them. Deport them. Throw them in jail. Start now. Issue a Glock model 22 to every American who wants one. Provide training as necessary. Keep killing them until they stand down. Tell the fascist leftists in this country and Europe to f*ck off. Go after the hives (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Iraq, etc.). One after another. They either stop sponsoring this BS or we invade an conquer them.

I agree 100% but will anything even close to that scenario happen? Most likely not. And the result will be more American lives.

95 posted on 05/20/2002 7:14:24 PM PDT by inflorida
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To: inflorida
Left out a word to the above post.
"And the result will be more American lives destroyed."
96 posted on 05/20/2002 7:16:56 PM PDT by inflorida
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To: Cinnamon Girl
no know-how or means to counter such a threat.
For a start, why not get rid of the protestor with the towel and fake explosives belt!
97 posted on 05/20/2002 7:28:19 PM PDT by Libertina
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To: albee
Perhaps when it comes time for the annual $3,000,000,000 welfare handout to Israel, she should ask G-d instead of Uncle Sam.

If that aid didn't benefit the US, we wouldn't give it.

98 posted on 05/20/2002 7:37:19 PM PDT by BenF
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Comment #99 Removed by Moderator

To: Mad_Tom_Rackham
Sadly we can petition our congresscritters until we're blue in the face but the enemy among us will never be deported nor denied entry to the US. Congress has probably been "bought" as evidenced by the fundraising donations (by Arab individuals & groups already here in the US) revealed on this thread today: Cynthia McKinney's "Black Tuesday"
100 posted on 05/20/2002 7:59:24 PM PDT by sirena
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