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Islamic Jihad Spokesman Khader Adnan: Simple Political Activist or Dangerous Terrorist

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs-Hebrew) Jonathan D. Halevi - Senior Islamic Jihad leader Khader Adnan, who is being held in administrative detention by Israel, is currently on a hunger strike. Islamic Jihad has repeatedly emphasized in its public announcements that Adnan is part of the group's leadership and in 2005 was named its official spokesman. The movement calls for armed jihad as the only response to the "Zionist conquest of Palestine." During the first four years of the Second Intifada, Islamic Jihad undertook hundreds of terror attacks and was responsible for the deaths of 118 Israelis and the wounding of an additional 759. In 2011, Islamic Jihad launched 226 rockets, including 59 longer-range Grads, at Israeli targets. According to Arabic sources, Adnan was arrested by the PA in 1999, 2010, and as recently January 2011. While the reasons for his arrest by Israel on Dec. 18, 2011, have not been made public, near the time of his arrest the Israel Security Agency announced it had uncovered an Islamic Jihad headquarters in the Jenin area of the West Bank and had arrested ten suspects involved in preparing terrorist attacks. Adnan is known to be part of the Islamic Jihad leadership from the Jenin area and it is likely that he was involved with this group. Members of the group were in contact with the group's headquarters in Syria and received large amounts of funds to support their activities. They were planning attacks against IDF soldiers, shooting attacks against Israeli civilians, and kidnappings.
2012-02-21 00:00:00
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