Anti Syrian protests in Beirut

THE WORLD



Syria denies link to blast

Abraham Rabinovich, Jerusalem
February 28, 2005

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12392614%255E2703,00.html

ISRAEL was on high alert last night after accusing Syria of involvement in a Tel Aviv suicide bombing that killed four people, wounded 50 others and cast a shadow over tentative peace moves in the Middle East.

Ariel Sharon's Government also said it would would resume military action against militant groups and freeze plans to transfer security control to the Palestinians in some West Bank towns.
Syria denied any role in Friday night's blast at a popular nightclub as Washington called for "immediate and credible" action by the Palestinian Authority.
It was the first terror attack inside Israel in months and came just two weeks after Mr Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas pledged to pursue peaceful co-existence during a summit meeting in Egypt.
The main Palestinian armed factions pleaded ignorance of the bombing. But a videotape later surfaced in which a man known as a local Islamic Jihad leader said he was about to carry out a suicide attack.
Abdullah Shibaya Badran, 22, from the Tulkarm region of the northern West Bank, said his mission "was carried out in response to the killings and destruction of homes" committed by Israel.
As he left for the nightclub, explosives concealed under his clothes, the university student reportedly told his mother, Sudqiyeh: "Don't expect me home for dinner."
Despite the death toll, Israeli authorities decided at an emergency meeting to refrain from the military response bombings automatically triggered in the past and to limit reaction at present to a freezing of concessions to the Palestinians and to diplomatic pressure on the Palestinian Authority and on Syria.
In the past, Israeli security forces would have staged large-scale sweeps in the wake of such a bombing in a search for those connected with the attack and would have demolished the home of the bomber or his family. Israel is now staying its hand so as not to undermine Mr Abbas's authority and to give his Government a chance to launch its own counter-terror activities.
However, some cabinet members were less restrained in their comments. Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz hit out at Syria, which has long played host to Islamic Jihad leaders, accusing it of direct involvement in the attack.
He accused Damascus "of playing host to terrorist organisations and encouraging them to carry out attacks that jeopardise the peace process with the Palestinians and the stability of the region".
Deputy Defence Minister Zeev Boim went further, pointing out Israel had attacked Syrian targets in the past and declaring it would do so again "if it feels this will stop Damascus-based groups from attacking Israeli targets".
Syria, which is already suspected of having a hand in the assassination in Beirut of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, denied the accusations.
"Syria has no connection with this operation and the (Damascus) office of this movement (Islamic Jihad) is closed," a Foreign Ministry official said.
"We think the Israeli Defence Minister's comments show that he knows the identity of the real perpetrator and that he's to be found inside Israel."
Mr Mofaz also announced that Israel now considered Islamic Jihad had broken the informal truce it had been observing along with other militant groups and that military operations against its leaders would resume.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Washington had contacted the Palestinian leadership to "urge immediate and credible action by Palestinian security authorities, in co-operation with Israel, to determine who is behind this terrorist act and to bring them to justice".
Both Palestinian and Israeli security services made a series of arrests - including two brothers of the bomber.
Additional reporting: AFP, AP