Israelis storm Palestinian prison

[Hither green]

Israeli troops have raided a prison in Jericho in the West Bank, demolishing buildings and killing at least one Palestinian guard.
They are trying to seize a jailed militant leader blamed for killing an Israeli minister in 2001. The leader, Ahmed Saadat, is refusing to surrender.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has condemned UK and US prison monitors for withdrawing shortly before the raid.

For the U.S. to act like this isn't surprising but you'd like to think better of the british, although I don't know why as it sounds like the sort of collusion you used to get in Northern Ireland with Loyalist groups. The british foreign minister is just focusing on the withdrawal, without any mention of tipping off the Israelis. As if they're not content in fcuking up Iraq, the cretinous british and U.S. forces are now keen to make things worse in Palestine too.

[Risteard]

So they captured him from a prison so he could face justice?
So much for respecting the Palestinian Authority.

[Bald Student]

So they captured him from a prison so he could face justice?
So much for respecting the Palestinian Authority.

I think it's more complicated than that. The prison was part of the British Consulate and he was under British supervision. Palistinian gunmen stormed the place this morning, forced the british out and set the place on fire. Israel moved in to make sure the prisoners didn't excape.

[Hither green]

I think it's more complicated than that. The prison was part of the British Consulate and he was under British supervision. Palistinian gunmen stormed the place this morning, forced the british out and set the place on fire. Israel moved in to make sure the prisoners didn't excape.

I don't think that was the case, the jail was within the PA government compound, but was being supervised by the US and Brits to placate the Israelis (who had already threatened to kill the bloke), the US and Brits pulled out, ostensibly for their protection, and within 15 minutes the Israelis attacked.

[Thunderblaster]

State security matters of course.

[pete]

Moderator: Please post link to this story or I will have to remove. See Current Affairs section rules.

[Bald Student]

I don't think that was the case, the jail was within the PA government compound, but was being supervised by the US and Brits to placate the Israelis (who had already threatened to kill the bloke), the US and Brits pulled out, ostensibly for their protection, and within 15 minutes the Israelis attacked.

I think you're correct on this one. I must have misunderstood the news before I left the house.

The main question is why did the British and Americans leave? Did they have a tip off that Israel would be flattening the place or was it something else?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0315/mideast.html

[Hither green]

Moderator: Please post link to this story or I will have to remove. See Current Affairs section rules.

It was from the BBC but the edition's changed several times since then, here's a similar one.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4804424.stm

[Peadar]

The main question is why did the British and Americans leave?

Given their reputation in such circumstances, I doubt I'd be sticking around if I heard that the Israeli Army was on its way.

[Bald Student]

Given their reputation in such circumstances, I doubt I'd be sticking around if I heard that the Israeli Army was on its way.

It's a question of what happened first. Did the US & UK hear than the Israeli's were on the way and do a runner or did the US & UK do a runner forcing the Israeli's to interviene?

[Hither green]

It's a question of what happened first. Did the US & UK hear than the Israeli's were on the way and do a runner or did the US & UK do a runner forcing the Israeli's to interviene?

The latter is nearer, although I don't think anyone forced the Israelis to intervene, in fact they did that without any prompting at all. The Brits and US withdrew because things were getting too dangerous (although at no point have they said where the threat was from - however despicable the Israeli troops frequently are, I can't honestly believe that the Brits/US honestly thought that they would be attacked by them). The Brits/US pulled out and (we're led to believe) the Israelis just happened to be in the area (in large numbers), saw their opportunity and quickly goose-stepped in there. The big question is how much time the Brits/US and the Israelis spent coordinating their entrance/exit - afterall it would have been so embarrassing if they'd bumped into each other on the way.

[Patrick Dunne]

The PA couldnt run an FAI Cup draw in a brewery. I'm not surprised the Brits legged it.
I wouldn't fancy being a monitor (un-armed ?) in the West Bank either, relying
on the PA to protect me from the locals.

[Roverstillidie]

The PA couldnt run an FAI Cup draw in a brewery. I'm not surprised the Brits legged it.
I wouldn't fancy being a monitor (un-armed ?) in the West Bank either, relying
on the PA to protect me from the locals.

bit difficult to protect things if the israilis keep coming in and demolishing things like prisons at a whim