Posted on 12/04/2002 3:31:09 PM PST by knighthawk
JERUSALEM: Israel fears that after its tourists, its sports teams traveling abroad could also become prime targets for Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network.
The worry follows a newspaper report Wednesday of a thwarted attack against the Israeli football team in Malta last October.
This new threat has a particular resonance in Israel, which saw 11 members of its delegation to the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich killed after they were taken hostage by the Palestinian Black September commando group.
The November 28 twin attacks against Israeli tourists in Kenya, which claimed 13 victims including three Israelis, was claimed in a purported al-Qaeda message published on an Islamist website.
Israel's top-selling daily Yediot Aharanot and the Israeli national football coach Avraham Grant revealed that an al-Qaeda attack allegedly planned against the football team during a match in Malta had been thwarted.
Hamadi Buahia, who has links with Bin Laden's group and lives in Italy, was arrested a day before the match following information received by the Israeli security services, the newspaper said.
Quoting Italian security sources, the paper also said a conversation between members of a "terrorist cell" had been tapped discussing the plot.
"Everything is ready for the game. The field is ready, we must play the game. We will win, we will always win," one of them reportedly said.
On October 12, the Israeli football team beat Malta 2-0 in a Euro 2004 qualifier.
Grant told military radio that Israeli teams traveling abroad were given "excellent protection by the Shin Beth and local security services."
The Shin Beth internal security service is tasked with cracking down on Palestinian militant groups in the occupied territories and protecting Israeli air links and delegations abroad.
Grant deplored the fact that the team was no longer invited for friendlies because of the security measures required by the host country.
"We get more and more polite letters rejecting our demands for matches abroad," he lamented.
Israeli Football Association chairman Gavry Levy also voiced his fears that the latest revelations on the aborted attack in Malta would scare away foreign countries from inviting Israeli teams.
"We are very concerned over what was printed, because it risks sparking fears among foreign countries that they might be targeted by al-Qaeda if they invite us," Levy told public radio.
For his part, former sports minister Matan Vilnai told military radio that "Israeli sportsmen were threatened by terrorism in the entire world."
He also revealed that he had cancelled a trip to Malta by the Israeli junior national swimming team "for security reasons".
Israel's next Euro 2004 qualifiers are scheduled to be an away game against Cyprus and a home game against France, Levy added.
However, over the past few months and following a UEFA ruling, home games for the national team and most clubs have been played on foreign grounds, including in Cyprus and eastern European countries.
In September, the English Premiership club Tottenham refused to host the home games of the Israeli team's Euro 2004 bid.
What is this? The Brits are afraid because those bad terrorists might attack there should they have the Israelis play at their place? What a sorry bunch the "English Premiership" club turn out to be. Israel will provide heavy security wherever their teams compete. Who doesn't understand this?
I would think that all they'd have to do, if the terrorists show up, is to loose the football hooligans at them. No more Al-Qaeda...
10-4, no doubt, LOL!
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