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Posted on 10/04/2003 2:19:19 PM PDT by anotherview
Oct. 4, 2003
IDF retaliation restricted by Yom Kippur
By ARIEH O'SULLIVAN
The lights were burning late on the second floor of the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv Saturday night as IDF brass, security service heads and the Defense Minister weighed possible reactions to the Haifa suicide attack.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz convened the meeting after IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon held a previous assessment with top generals and prepared possible options for retaliation.
The sense in the defense establishment was that no actions would be taken against Arafat and would focus on intensifying the crackdown on the terrorist groups.
Defense officials said operational activity by the IDF is restricted due to Yom Kippur. Even though operational actions take preference over the religious holy day, it is difficult to see a major IDF action on this day which would require possible call up of reserves.
Options being discussed are likely to include a return to an intensive policy of target assassinations, possibly against terrorist targets abroad such as Islamic Jihad leaders in Damascus.
The army could also stage deeper raids into the Gaza Strip, but moves to recapture the coastal strip have lost their popularity among many senior commanders who fear such action does not have an adequate way out.
In any case, the suicide bombing came as the IDF has been waging an intensive war on terrorist, targeting, arresting and sometimes killing the heads of various cells. The Islamic Jihad cells in Jenin and Hebron as well as the Hamas cell in Hebron have been the most seriously hurt.
In particular it came after an intensive operation by the Golani Brigade in Jenin. Dubbed "Adjusting Sights," since the Hamas and Islamic Jihad declared the hudna or ceasefire over on September 18. During this period they recorded a number of major successes including the capture of two top IJ commanders last week. They also prevented any suicide bombing from emanating from the city while they were deployed there.
But the Golani troops pulled out of the city a few days ago, leaving open the way for the suicide bomber to sneak into Israel and blow herself up in Haifa.
The IDF has a draw full of plans to deal with Arafat and others. Dry runs have been staged over and over and the moment orders were given to remove Arafat it would take a few hours to implement it. Yet every step regarding the expulsion of Arafat needs to take into consideration that Arafat would be harmed and even killed. No on in the army is guaranteeing that Arafat would come out unscathed.
But other ramifications are also being taken into consideration, such as rioting in the territories which would require a larger number of forces to quell or contain.
It certainly is not. This defense offical is citing the High Holy Day as a reason for the Cabinet'd dithering, confusion and inaction. Terrorist will not resistrict their operational activities due to Yom Kippur.
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HINT: Save a chicken and kill the real "chicken".
" Yes. I sent the lawyers and children to murder.
So what. I am a general, well protected by those that love blood, murder and death."
They are not doing what they must and that is my point. If they were, I wouldn't have watched ZAKA use a trowel to scrape pieces of dead Jew stuck to the ceiling of Maxim's today.
Playing defense and burying 5 ounces of blood, all that's left of a 5 year old girl, just doesn't cut it.
Killing one's mortal enemies before they kill you is what's required.
"If one comes to slay you, arise and slay him first."
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