Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres urged Palestinian President Yasser Arafat Saturday to put an end to the alleged participation of his personal bodyguard, Force 17, in anti-Israeli attacks, said AFP.
Israel’s Shin Beit security service announced Friday the arrest of three Force 17 members for attacks in which eight Israelis were killed and 20 more injured over the past five months, according to Haaretz newspaper.
When questioned by Israeli forces, the three admitted that Mahmoud Damra, the Force 17 commander in Ramallah, had ordered the bombings, naming targets to strike, training the men and providing them with arms, said Haaretz.
"I am not sure Yasser Arafat knew that Force 17 was involved, but now that he does, we shall see what measures he will take", Israeli public radio quoted Peres as saying.
"It seems this commander acted on his own initiative, but the members of Force 17 are on the payroll of the Palestinian Authority, which must take measures for all this to stop immediately", said Peres.
"Otherwise, it (the Palestinian Authority) will have to pay for the consequences", he added.
"Terrorism and peace cannot live together, and the Palestinians should know that they will not obtain a greater involvement of the US and the international community by resorting to violence", the foreign minister added.
Details of the investigation released by the Shin Bet indicate the "hard core" of the group, comprising some 25 members, comes from Force 17, the paper said.
Shin Bet officials said they are also investigating the group's ties to West Bank Fateh leader, Marwan Barghouti, and the heads of Force 17 and the Palestinian intelligence service.
The heads of the Palestinian security services appear to have known about the gang's activities, the Shin Bet officials said, but made no effort to prevent its attacks on Israel – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
