==>SHARON PRAISES ISRAEL'S TERROR EFFORT
amigocabal
Undaunted Infidel <is...@dumb-ideas.com> wrote in message
news:Kj7W8.76$yC4...@typhoon.nyu.edu...
> Sharon Praises Israel Terror Effort
> Sun Jul 7, 2:46 PM ET
> By GREG MYRE, Associated Press Writer
>
> JERUSALEM (AP) - After 16 days without an Israeli death in the Mideast
> conflict, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ( news - web sites) said Sunday that
> Israel had made progress combatting Palestinian terror attacks.
>
> But "deep problems" remain, the Israeli leader added in remarks hours
after
> Israeli forces captured two armed Palestinians approaching a Jewish
> settlement in the Gaza Strip ( news - web sites).
>
> Israel's army launched its latest incursion into Palestinian cities after
a
> trio of attacks that killed 31 Israeli civilians from June 18-20. Since
> then, Israeli troops have taken over all but one of the eight major
> Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank. No Israelis have been
killed
> but more than 30 Palestinians have died.
>
> The period marks one of the longest stretches without an Israeli fatality
> since the fighting broke out in September 2000, although Palestinian
> militants have still attempted to carry out attacks daily.
>
> The Palestinian leadership has demanded Israeli forces leave the West Bank
> cities. Israeli officials hint the open-ended operation could last months.
> That has raised Palestinian fears that Israel plans to dismantle the
> Palestinian Authority ( news - web sites) and also concerns in Israel
about
> the costs and new dangers involved.
>
> Sharon credited his outgoing army chief of general staff, Lt. Gen. Shaul
> Mofaz, with "a great effort in confronting terrorism," particularly during
> the almost two years of persistent violence.
>
> "We have had some victories, but there still remain deep problems," Sharon
> said at a weekly Cabinet meeting in thanking Mofaz.
>
> In the northern Gaza Strip, armed Palestinians were approaching the Jewish
> settlement of Elei Sinai when soldiers opened fire, the army said. The
> Palestinians returned fire, though two of the men eventually surrendered
and
> two more escaped, the army added. The men were dressed in camouflage
> uniforms and armed with assault rifles.
>
> Since the latest operation began, the army has arrested more than 300
> suspected militants, and about half were on Israel's wanted list, said
> Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. Ten would-be suicide bombers were
> among those detained, and 14 bombmaking laboratories were discovered, he
> said.
>
> Israeli officials have said that in all, some 1,700 Palestinians suspected
> of links to terrorism were being held by the army and the Shin Bet
security
> service.
>
> The operation has kept hundreds of thousands of Palestinians confined to
> their homes, and while curfews have been relaxed a bit in recent days,
> Israeli authorities acknowledge that ordinary Palestinians are facing
> difficult living conditions.
>
> "At this time, our access to Palestinian cities is necessary to prevent
> terrorism," Mofaz told the Cabinet meeting, according to a briefing given
by
> Cabinet Secretary Gideon Saar. But Mofaz added, "we must do everything in
> our power economically to relieve the Palestinian population."
>
> Meanwhile, in the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian security officers
> staged a rally against Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat ( news - web
> sites)'s firing of a top Palestinian security chief.
>
> Arafat has been under Israeli and American pressure to restructure his
> overlapping security forces and direct them to stop terror attacks against
> Israel. This past week, Arafat dismissed three senior security leaders,
> including Jibril Rajoub, head of Preventive Security in the West Bank.
>
> Disgruntled security officers rejected Arafat's choice for a new West Bank
> security chief, Jenin governor Zuheir al-Manasra. The officers said
> al-Manasra was unsuitable because he was not from Preventive Security.
>
> About 300 demonstrators carried banners Sunday in Hebron saying "we
support
> Rajoub" and chanted "Down with al-Manasra." They were careful to temper
> their anger, also shouting "Long live Arafat."
>
> Ahmed Salhoub, a Preventive Security officer, said he and other officers
> won't accept anyone to lead them other than Rajoub.
>
> "Arafat shouldn't punish (Rajoub), but promote him to a better position
for
> what he has done for the Palestinian people," Salhoub said. "We are with
> Arafat and his changing of corrupt people, but we will not accept
> al-Manasra."
>
> Rajoub has said he was not seeking another post.
>
> "I might change this position in the future, after the elections," Rajoub
> told Palestinian radio, referring to January polls for the Palestinian
> Authority leadership and for the legislature.
>
> In another development, Israel's Cabinet also confirmed the appointment of
> Sharon's foreign policy adviser, Daniel Ayalon, as ambassador to the
United
> States, Israel's strongest ally. The former ambassador, David Ivry, left
his
> post in mid-April.
>
>
>
>
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