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Weapons Flood West Bank, Fueling Fears of New War Front with Israel
(Wall Street Journal) Sune Engel Rasmussen - Iran and its allies have accelerated efforts to smuggle weapons into the West Bank. A senior Jordanian security official said networks of smugglers, assisted by the Syrian government and Iranian-backed militias like Hizbullah, were growing. "The weapons flow has really increased, specifically over the past year. This is because Iran has been much more focused on the West Bank recently, and trying to arm some of the groups there, especially the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is Iran's more direct partner," said Michael Horowitz, Israel-based head of intelligence at Le Beck International, a risk consulting firm. Through a network of loyal militias, Tehran has established a land corridor across Iraq and Syria into Lebanon and, via Jordan, into the West Bank, allowing it to transport troops, equipment and weapons to its allies. Weapons smuggled into Jordan include Iranian replicas of U.S.-made Claymore antipersonnel mines, M4-style assault rifles, TNT and other explosives, and handguns, according to the senior Jordanian official.