(Ha'aretz) Suicide bombers are the Palestinians' smartest bomb to date, but they have several disadvantages: the bombers tend to stick out, broaden the circle of those in the know, get arrested and incriminate their dispatchers, and have a last-minute change of heart. Nablus and Jenin are prime examples of the IDF's successful war against Palestinian terror. Two years ago, Nablus prompted eight to nine simultaneous alerts; today, the number is one to two. Jenin produced a similar number of alerts two years ago, and now the number is down to one per month. Eighteen months ago there were 300 wanted men in Nablus; today some 160 remain, including 20 senior militants. For the first time since the violence began, no new wanted men have been taking the place of those arrested and killed. The separation fence allows Palestinians a more normal lifestyle. There were 22 factories operating in Nablus 18 months ago; today there are 940 factories, and 200 new construction sites.
2004-07-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive