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Israel-Palestine
Palestinian forces prevent mortar attack on Israel, seize weapons
2005-01-26
GAZA CITY - Palestinian security forces in Gaza prevented a cell of militants from firing mortar shells into southern Israel late Tuesday, seizing their weapons, a Palestinian security source told AFP. "Members of the security forces in northern Gaza stopped militant group from firing three mortar shells into Israel," the source said. Following a heated argument with the militants, the forces confiscated the weapons and the cell left, he said.
Guess it was too much to ask the 'security forces' to detain the miscreants.
Five days ago, newly-installed Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas ordered the deployment of around around 2,500 Palestinian police and security forces in northern Gaza to stop militants from firing a barrage of rockets and mortar shells at Israeli targets. The deployment has been accompanied by a marked lull in violence in Gaza.

Earlier Tuesday, top Palestinian and Israeli officials agreed to extend the deployment of Palestinian security forces to several flashpoint areas in southern Gaza with the aim of also preventing attacks in the south. By Thursday, troops are expected to be operating in the areas of Khan Yunis and Rafah from where militant groups have frequently fired rockets at Israeli targets.
Posted by:Steve White

#8  You gotta be frickin' kidding me. Do you know how long it takes to set up a mortar tube? Not long. And they only had 3 shells? How long to fire them, would you guess? A minute or two? In fact, what this shows is that the "police men" knew exactly what was going to happen and when. They show up, talk to the guys who were setting up the tube (probably "cops" themselves) and say that they can't be doing that during the honeymoon.

OTOH, maybe this means that the cops are really going to use the fact that they know who perpetrates these attacks to try and stop them.
Possible propoganda, or a possible first step. Given the track record, I'm not holding my breath.
Posted by: Mark E.   2005-01-26 3:38:21 PM  

#7  I agree with lh and rw. We need Abbas to stay alive and for Palestinian policemen to have the confidence that they can do their jobs without being attacked by crowds or their family members being terrorized. Arafat and his corrupt thugs have used poverty and hatred to set the Palestinians on such a wrong course for so many years, that this situation cannot be corrected overnight.

I think we need to look at this incident as a glass of water half-full not as a glass have empty.
Posted by: 2xstandard   2005-01-26 11:57:47 AM  

#6  they came across the "militants" and said:

Not yet, my friend, not yet. You'll have your chance. allah akhbar

Posted by: PlanetDan   2005-01-26 11:09:32 AM  

#5  I can imagine the heated argument..."Dammit Salim, there's no way you can hit the settlement from this far away! You need to move closer!" "Listen Muammar, I was firing mortars at the Jews back when you wore that diaper on your ass, not your head, so don't tell me I'm too far away." "So that's how you want to be? Well, I'm confiscating your mortar, and tomorrow my colleagues and I will set it up right on the border, so get lost."
Posted by: Captain Pedantic   2005-01-26 10:32:19 AM  

#4  At least the mortars were not fired

yet
Posted by: Frank G   2005-01-26 9:56:15 AM  

#3  Not a bad thing. At least the mortars were not fired.
Posted by: Rightwing   2005-01-26 9:46:36 AM  

#2  so far, so good.

Yes, detaining the militants WOULD be too far for the ever cautious Abbas.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2005-01-26 9:44:50 AM  

#1  the forces confiscated the weapons and the cell left
Must have had them surrounded.
Posted by: Spot   2005-01-26 8:50:53 AM  

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