Israel Matzav

Caught a big fish outside Shchem (Nablus)

The Border Police (Mishmar HaGvul) caught a big fish at a roadblock outside Shchem (Nablus) today. You know, one of those roadblocks that everyone else says Israel should take down.

The fish is Mahmoud Damra, the head of Force 17, 'moderate' Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen's elite special guard.

Damra has been wanted by Israel for six years, for his role as leader in a terror cell responsible for carrying out attacks in Israel which killed eight Israelis and wounded 20 others.

The cell comprised 25 members, from Hamas, Fatah, the Democratic Front, and Force 17. Damra is suspected of choosing the locations of the terror attacks, training the militants and supplying them with weapons belonging to his force.

Israel suspects Damra to have been involved in numerous attacks, including the murder of an Israeli security guard outside a National Insurance Institute branch in East Jerusalem in October 2000, the murder of extremist Meir Kahane's son and daughter-in-law in the West Bank in December 2000, and for shooting two death two IDF soldiers and a female settler.

Damra escaped an Israeli assassination attempt in May 2001, and went into hiding near Ramallah. He emerged only recently to play a more visible role as a senior security official for Abbas, Palestinian sources said.

Previously on Israel Matzav:

Abbas names wanted murderer as head of Force 17.

Israel's weapons used against Jews.

Arming Fatah.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:26 PM