Posted on 08/05/2002 2:19:59 AM PDT by kattracks
JERUSALEM - Palestinian terrorists are going after Israelis every which way they can - and recent attacks reveal they're trying out deadly new methods.When Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian gunman in scuba gear along a northern Gaza Strip beach yesterday, they saw firsthand the terrorists' efforts to expand their arsenal beyond the standard human bomb.
"They are thinking all the time, trying new methods, looking for holes in Israeli security," an Israeli intelligence source told the Daily News yesterday.
In recent months, militants from both the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Hamas have been upgrading their methods and materials in order to increase the number of Israeli casualties, according to the Israeli source.
In last week's bombing at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, a terrorist left after he or she placed a bomb on top of the table, rather than on the floor, a tactic viewed as a way to increase head injuries.
And witnesses at suicide bombings have seen bombers raise their hands before detonating their explosives so their arms wouldn't block shrapnel.
The bombs themselves are also becoming more powerful, even though Israel has rounded up or assassinated scores of bomb makers. Less sensitive materials that could detonate prematurely are no longer being used, the source told The News.
"They are also thinking bigger," he said, "and thinking in terms of mega-terror attacks."
Israeli security officials say that Salah Shehada, the Hamas leader assassinated two weeks ago in Gaza City, was planning an attack using 600 kilograms of explosives. Until now, a 10-kilogram explosive used by a suicide bomber was generally considered powerful.
Perhaps even more frightening is the specter of terrorists planning chemical and biological attacks. Last week, a terrorist arrested for the Passover bombing was also charged with plotting an attack using cyanide.
Health officials are making plans to handle a bioterror attack, and the government announced yesterday it now has nearly enough smallpox vaccine for the entire nation.
In another change for Hamas, the terror group said yesterday it would no longer announce the names of suicide bombers.
The change came to protect their families, which Israel considers legitimate targets for punishment, expelling some relatives from the West Bank to Gaza and destroying their homes.
"Right now, terrorists are supported and encouraged by the people around them," said Gen. Amos Gilad, explaining the house destruction policy. "We have to change that balance."
But some believe no strategic or military policy can keep terrorists from expanding their tactics.
"As much as we do, we will not reach our intended goal to stop terror," said Danny Yatom, a former intelligence chief. "What is missing is a diplomatic strategy."
BUMP
I don't think the terrorists will be that stupid.
Wait a minute, never mind.
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