Journalist David Bedein of the Israel Resource News Agency reports that Al Qaeda terrorists are being openly trained to attack Israel at the Ein Hilwe UNRWA refugee camp in Lebanon. An IDF briefer informed reporters of this fact last week at a briefing less than three hours before at least two Arab terrorists opened fire on a northern Israeli highway, killing six people. The murderers were later found to have infiltrated from Lebanon.
Bedein notes that unofficial Israeli intelligence sources said that the murderers, assumed to be from Hizbullah, were in fact organized and trained by Al Qaeda. The issue to be investigated now, says Bedein, is whether the U.S., which covers 20% of the UNRWA budget, is planning to demolish the Al Qaeda bases in the UNRWA camps in Lebanon, as it is doing to the Al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan - and if not, why?
Last week, it was announced that the GSS had arrested a Swedish national with apparent Al-Qaeda ties who attempted to infiltrate into Israel and perpetrate a massive terrorist attack. Muhammad Ali Muhammad, 34, a Swedish citizen of Somali origin, was arrested two weeks ago on the Jordan River Bridge. In his possession were newspaper clippings about Osama Bin-Laden and Al-Qaeda suicide terrorists. The ensuing interrogation confirmed that he was in fact an enthusiastic Bin-Laden supporter.
The U.S. Government has declared the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, an official terrorist organization. This means that financial sanctions will be imposed on the organization and that it will be banned from engaging in transactions in the United States. Unlike Fatah and Force 17 - Arafat groups whose banning many Congressmen have also asked for - the Al Aqsa Brigade is not believed to have assets abroad.