Posted on 11/28/2002 4:40:22 PM PST by knighthawk
A previously unknown group calling itself the Army of Palestine has claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack, which has killed at least eight Kenyans and up to three Israelis near the African port city of Mombasa.
Just minutes earlier, an Israeli charter plane taking off from Mombasa had narrowly avoided being shot down.
Two rockets fired from a shoulder-launcher missed the aircraft by metres.
The plane carrying 140 Israeli tourists landed safely in Tel Aviv a few hours later.
Just five minutes after the rocket attack, witnesses say three Arab men drove a four-wheel drive packed with explosives into the foyer of the Paradise Hotel near Mombasa and blew themselves up.
Two Israeli children and Kenyan dancers welcoming an Israeli tour group are among the dead.
Israeli journalist Kelly Hartog was in the hotel in Mombasa at the time of the suicide attack.
"We heard a massive explosion, smoke, black, black smoke billowing everywhere and the thatched roofs of the hotel just falling in," she said.
"It was another few minutes before we heard screaming and wailing and many, many of the hotel workers appeared wounded and came running in looking for water."
One witness says she had just left the reception area when the bomb exploded.
"We got the keys for the room and people started to leave for their rooms and when the last people stayed in the lobby to get their keys there was a very big bomb near the lobby and the whole roof started to go on fire."
Kenyan police say they have arrested two men in connection with the attacks.
In a statement delivered to a Lebanese newsagency, the previously unknown Army of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attacks.
It said the attacks were intended to mark the 55th anniversary of the partition of Palestine on November the 29th, 1947.
Several hours later, two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on people standing near a bus station in northern Israel, killing at least five.
Police shot the two men dead.
Rocket attack
The pilot of the Israeli plane which was targeted over Kenya has said he felt a slight bump shortly after take-off in Mombasa then saw what he described as two white stripes beside the aircraft.
Captain Rafi Marek has told a media conference in Ben Gurion Airport the bump felt like a small bird hitting the bottom of the aircraft.
"What we saw was two stripes, we had different speculations about what was going on and it was nothing special because we were busy with the take-off procedures and everything," he said.
"So, I really can't tell you that I had any special feelings."
Passengers on the aircraft also admitted they had no idea what had happened soon after take-off.
One eyewitness says the passengers thought nothing of the little bump felt.
"When we took off we heard a noise on the left hand side of the plane and someone on the left hand side of the plane said there was smoke and then everyone was like no it's probably nothing."
"It was only towards the end of the flight they told us what had happened."
Election
The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, says Arab terrorism is trying to influence his country's election process as Likud Party voters decide who will lead them into next January's general election.
Mr Sharon says the attackers had a clear motive.
"They have an intention to interfere and to interference the elections," he said.
In Washington, the United States President has deplored the attacks in Kenya but he says it is too early to blame them on the Al Qaeda terrorist network.
George W Bush was at his ranch in Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday when told of the attacks.
National security advisor Condoleezza Rice briefed him before issuing a statement.
President Bush says he deplores what has happened but says it is premature to rule Al Qaeda in or out.
He says the United States is ready to help the Governments of Kenya and Israel track down those responsible.
Meanwhile, Israeli Government spokesman Gideon Meir says he believes the latest attacks against Israelis are linked to other recent violent acts around the world, including the bomb attacks against Australians in Bali.
"There's no question there is a direct line between happened in Bali, what happened in New York, what happened today in Mombasa, which is a clear indication of escalation in international terrorism," he said.
"There is no question in our mind that there is a link between all those terrorist organisations, which are all linked to hose countries who are harbouring terrorism."
However a senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, has denied Palestinian links with Al Qaeda, saying expressions of support from the terrorist group are actually damaging the Palestinian cause.
"We don't condone what Al Qaeda is doing, we condemned the September 11 attack, we condemned the killings in Bali, we condemn terrorism that targets civilians," he said.
"Our cause is a just cause, we are a people under occupation, we are the victim of terror, actually occupation and the Israeli occupation is the highest form of terrorism."
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Good. I hope they find and execute everybody involved in these attacks.
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