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Foreign, Defense Ministers Brief Cabinet

(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told the cabinet Wednesday that Arafat continues to call the shots for the PA and is continuing to distribute funds to terrorist organizations. Shalom said that new PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei will likely disperse some demonstrations and collect some illegal arms, but has not made a strategic decision to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. According to Shalom, Qurei may try to temporarily halt terrorist attacks to show the world that Arafat is "capable of delivering the goods," thereby "throwing the ball back into Israel's court." Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, in his cabinet briefing, reported that it is likely the suicide bomber responsible for Saturday's attack in Haifa was smuggled into Israel in a car bearing Israeli license plates. He said there is a connection between the attack and the Islamic Jihad infrastructure based in Damascus. Mofaz ordered that both regular and reserve IDF units be reinforced in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip based on "operational needs." Regarding the IAF attack inside Syria, Mofaz said the target was an active terrorist training base and some people were in the camp at the time of the attack. He said the raid has brought to the world's attention the connection between terrorism inside Israel and the terrorist infrastructure that exists in Syria.
2003-10-09 00:00:00
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