HEADLINES FROM THE REGION

by DEBKAfile 2 April 2002

"Short Ceasefire at Jibril’s Command Center for Evacuation of Wounded after Being Pounded for Five Hours When 400 Wanted Terrorists Refuse to Surrender

West Bank Security Chief Jibril’s Men Expected to
Exit with Wounded – Jibril Is in Ramallah

Israel Prepares Legislation to Enable Sanctions against
Palestinian Suicides’ Families and Their Senders –

Sharon During Troop Inspection in Qalqilya Tuesday

PM Views with Gravity Violations from Syrian-Lebanese Frontiers with Israel, Warns Damascus and Beirut
They are Not Immune to IDF Israeli Reprisal

Egypt and Jordan Seal Borders to Palestinians – Including Leaders

[Cutting Edge Note: The only reason Palestinians are in Israel today is because Jordan sealed her borders against the Palestinians after the 1948 war. The natural homeland for the Palestinians is Jordan, where they comprise the majority of the population. No Arab country on earth wants the Palestinians!]

Israeli Soldier at Har Homah Position, S. Jerusalem,
Is Wounded by Palestinian Gunfire Tuesday
Res. Sgt. Ophir Rott, 22, from Netanya,
Was Killed at Same Position Monday

Second Palestinian Dies from Monday Night’s
Shooting Incident on Maaleh Efraim-Cochav Hashachar Road
North of Ramallah
Responsibility Claimed by Unknown Jewish Group
Called “Tears of Widows and Orphans”

Monday Night, Two 170mm Katyusha Rockets
Fired from Lebanon against Northern
Israeli Town of Kiryat Shemona

Israeli Forces - in Continuing Drive Against Palestinian Terrorists –
Raid Palestinian Villages in Jordan Rift Valley, Nablus and Bethlehem
Sector, Including Deheisha - Stop Short of Church of Nativity
Operation Continues in Ramallah, Qalqilya, Tulkarm

Amid High Alert Across Israel for More Suicides

Sixteen Israeli Troops Wounded in
Monday’s Military Actions

Terrorist Who Invaded Ram-On Village E. of Afula Monday Night,
Shot up Houses, Is Killed in Flight to Palestinian Jenin

Tomer Mordecai, 19, from Tel Aviv, Is Policeman Killed
When He Stopped Terror Car from Reaching
Downtown Jerusalem Monday

Bush: ”Suicide Bombing in Name of Religion
Is Simply Terror. I’ld Like to See Chairman Arafat
Denounce Terror.”

US President Urged Sharon to Keep Pathway to Peace

Rumsfeld Accuses Iran, Iraq and Syria of Fomenting
Terrorist War on Civilization

US Considers Evacuating Staff from Israel
After Hamas Threat

Kissinger: If Suicide Terror Is Not Stopped,
It Will Spread Worldwide

France Drafts Riot Police to Guard Jewish Synagogues and Centers
After String of Antisemitic Attacks

Jewish and Israeli Institutions Worldwide on Guard

Senior American Intelligence Officers Are Positioned in Region
Closely Monitoring Development of Israel’s Counter-Terror Offensive
Group is Led by CIA Director George Tenet

At 01:30 IT after Sunday Midnight,
Tenet and Envoy Zinni Called Secretly on Arafat in Ramallah

Earlier, Israel Showed Group Items Found in Offices of al Aqsa Brigades Commander Tirawi: Quantities of Bomb Belts, Pipe Bombs Packed with Spikes and Nails, Explosives, Grenades and Ordnance

Palestinian Suicide Unit Defeated in Battle
With Israeli Siege Troops Sunday Night in
Arafat’s Ramallah Compound

Palestinians in Next Terror Wave Target
Israeli Leaders Including Sharon