Posted on 04/30/2003 11:01:00 AM PDT by dennisw
Last Update: 30/04/2003 20:48
Tel Aviv suicide bomber was British citizen
By Roni Singer and Haim Shadmi, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and Agencies
The man who carried out the suicide bombing late Tuesday night at a Tel Aviv beachfront pub was a British citizen, as was an additional terrorist who managed to flee when his explosive device did not detonate.
The British man who managed to escape, after scuffling with bystanders at the pub, was named as Omar Khan Shariff. The police and Shin Bet are requesting the public's help in locating him. The suicide bomber was identified as Hanif Mohammed.
Three people were killed and 35 wounded, one critically and five seriously, when a suicide bomber blew himself up at around 1 A.M. Tuesday night at a beachfront pub on Herbert Samuel Street in Tel Aviv.
Two men and one woman were killed in the blast. Yanai Weiss, 46, from the nearby city of Holon was killed in the bombing. Weiss was a musician who had been playing at the pub on Tuesday night. He was laid to rest at 5 P.M. Wednesday in Holon. Another victim was named Wednesday as Ran Baron, 24, from Tel Aviv. The third victim of the attack was named as Dominique Caroline Hess, 29, from Tel Aviv. Dominique immigrated to Israel five years ago from France.
The pub, "Mike's Place," is located close to the United States embassy, and is popular with tourists. The embassy was not damaged in the blast.
The bomber, who was killed in the blast, set off the explosives at the entrance to the pub after the security guard on duty at the door physically prevented him from entering.
The security guard was seriously wounded in the blast, and is receiving treatment at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Army Radio reported.
The attack was jointly planned by the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the Al Qassam Brigades, a man calling himself Abu Barek told AFP by telephone.
"This attack was carried out by a martyr from Tul Karm to avenge Mazen Erapeh, an Al Aqsa member recently killed in Nablus [by the Israeli army], and was jointly planned by the Al Aqsa and Al Qassam Brigades," he said.
Ten people who were lightly hurt received medical attention at the scene. The rest of the wounded were evacuated to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Beilison Medical Center in Petah Tikva and Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer.
"A suicide bomber blew himself up at Mike's Place bar on the seafront walkway," said Tel Aviv police commander Yossi Sedbon. "The attacker did not succeed in getting into the bar."
Sedbon said that the bomber was carrying a medium-size bomb packed with nails and other shrapnel.
The bomb blew the front off the bar and wrecked furniture inside. The owner of the bar, Gal Ganzman, his shirt covered with blood, said he was standing behind the bar when he heard the explosion. "I'm alive, I'm fine," he said. "One of the waitresses lost an arm but she's still alive. The boom was just outside the entrance. The security guard must have stopped him."
In a similar attack last Thursday, a security guard stopped a bomber entering a train station in Kfar Sava and was killed when the attacker set off his explosives.
Tuesday's attack came only hours after the Palestinian parliament voted to approve the new cabinet presented by Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). In his inaugural address, Abu Mazen indicated that his new government would move against militia groups and he called for an end to "terrorism," which he said had not served the Palestinian cause.
The extremist Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups, however, issued a rapid riposte, saying they would not lay down their weapons as long as the Israeli occupation continued. Some observers suggested the attack in Tel Aviv was a message from the armed Islamic groups to Abu Mazen and his new government that they rejected all attempts to bring about a ceasefire.
"This attack in Tel Aviv is another reminder that the new Palestinian government must take immediate steps to rein in the terrorists in its midst and take decisive measures to stop the terrorism from pouring into Israel," David Baker, an official in the Prime Minister's office told Haaretz.
International condemnation The White House condemned the suicide bombing as a "cowardly act," but said it would not scuttle the start of a new peace initiative.
"We condemn this cowardly act of terrorism. These homicide bombers are not only attempting to murder innocent civilians, but they are also attempting to kill the aspirations of the Palestinian people for their own free, democratic, prosperous state," said White House National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack.
McCormack said Bush still planned to release the road map.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan also condemned the attack, and urged both sides not to allow it to derail the recently-resumed peace process.
"The secretary-general calls on all concerned to exercise maximum restraint and begin the implementation of the road map that will be presented shortly," Annan's spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said in a statement.
Annan "reiterates his appeal to the Palestinians to pursue nonviolent policies and urges the Palestinian Authority to make every effort to stop these terrorist acts against Israelis," the UN statement said.
Germany also condemned the Tel Aviv bombing, saying the "enemies of peace" must not be allowed to win.
The bombing at the Tel Aviv pub will only strengthen the international community's resolve in the search for Middle East peace, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said.
The timing "once again exposes the mind-set of the enemies of peace," Fischer said in a statement. "They must not be allowed to triumph."
Promenade target of past attacks Tel Aviv's promenade has been the target of several attacks since the intifada erupted in September 2000. Last October, a security guard thwarted an attempted suicide attack in the same area, after he chased down the would-be bomber and helped police apprehend him.
On June 1, 2001, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Dolphinarium disco at the southern end of the walkway, killing 22 people, most of them teenagers.
Earlier Tuesday evening, two militants were killed during an attempted infiltration at a West Bank outpost.
There were no Israeli injuries sustained during the incident, which occurred in the area of the settlement of Elon Moreh, close to Nablus.
Emergency numbers: Ichilov Hospital, Tel Aviv: 12 55 133 Wolfson Medical Center, Holon: 12 55 135 Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer: 12 55 131 Beilinson Hospital, Petah Tikva: 12 55 134 Tel Aviv municipality: 12 55 03 6666
Yanai Weiss, who was one of the three people killed in the suicide bombing Tuesday night in Tel Aviv.
Related Links
* Guard dies averting suicide bombing at Kfar Sava station
* Suicide bomber nabbed next to U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv
* Mike's Place Web site
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And the liberals wanted to attack Saudi Arabia because the men who attacked the WTC were Saudis. So I'm curious why the libs aren't demanding that we attack Britain for this. It just goes to show the lengths that these rats will go to in order to hide thier identities.
The British are pro-terror, pro-murder, pro-genocide? Let them say why that is NOT so.
Yes, my Lord.
Hi...Dennisw,
I'm wondering what the heck are the Brits doing over there in Jolly Old England?
Allowing these IslamaNazis to run amock in ISRAEL and around the World.
I'm also wondering what is in their Water or the Tea?
PM Tony Blair ought to get Home and Do something about the British Home Grown Islamic Terrorists...instead of going to Mother Russia and holding hands with Lily PUTIN.
Just my opinion...Oy Vey.
And why not?
It seems the more "peace initiatives" that go forward, the more suicide bombers come out of the woodwork. Maybe if the entire Palestinian question were subject to permanent demonstrations of peace from all sides - or "no deal" - there would be a better chance the Palestinians would clean up their act (I'm not holding my breath on this).
These are killers targeting innocent civilians for political gains. They should not be encouraged in the least by allowing "peace processes" to go forward while the bombings continue. Let their own people hold their feet to the fire if they want genuine peace.
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