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Checkpoints Really Do Save Lives

(Ha'aretz) David Ratner - If the soldiers manning a busy checkpoint south of Nablus are not alert, they might let through a car carrying a bomb or a Palestinian on his way to a terror attack. The soldiers in this reserve unit are from the armored corps, and the checkpoint commanders are actually tank commanders. Three times in the last month, according to battalion commander Lt. Col. Shlomo, his soldiers prevented a terrorist attack. On November 2, a van with Israeli license plates carrying boxes of jeans pulled up at the checkpoint. Comparing the ID cards of the people in the van with the list of wanted men provided to troops at every checkpoint revealed that one of the passengers was wanted. The van was unloaded. When they got to the very last box, it was heavier than the rest. Inside was an explosive belt that one of the passengers was taking to a suicide bomber. On November 16, a taxi with a Israeli license plate pulled up to the checkpoint. The soldiers found two computers in the trunk that seemed very heavy. Opening the boxes, they found two explosive belts. Last Thursday, a patrol from the battalion stopped a Palestinian jeep and found two men suspected of planning a suicide bombing and two assault rifles with ammunition.
2002-11-28 00:00:00
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