(New York Post) Amir Taheri - The current euphoria about the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza is misplaced and dangerous. The most conservative estimates put the number of mini-armies in Gaza at 22. To these must be added the PA's security force and police, which also operate as rival factions. For a total population of perhaps 1.2 million, Gaza is believed to have over 100,000 armed men. It is also the single biggest producer of "volunteers for suicide-martyrdom" in the world. The worst-case scenario could make Gaza a magnet for Islamist jihadists, who appear determined to create "a crescent of fire" from Iraq to Egypt.
2005-09-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive