"Operation Open Barn Door" completed - wanted terrorists left Mukata

Aaron Lerner Date: 29 September 2002

Israel Television Channel One broadcast footage this evening on the Mabat
News program of how wanted terrorists mixed with the crowd of Palestinians
who entered Arafat's Ramallah headquarters (Mukata) this afternoon and
escaped with the crowd. Some changed clothing with members of the crowd
while some were seen leaving fully armed with assault rifles in hand as they
made their way undisturbed from the Mukata towards other parts of Ramallah.
The IDF dropped the curfew on the city, thus assuring the success of what
cynics may call "Operation Open Barn Door."

When the Sharon Cabinet endorsed pulling IDF forces back from the Mukata
compound earlier today the cover story was that the "plan" was to intercept
any wanted terrorists who would try to escape.

At the time of the announcement of the plan it was already far from clear
how the Sharon Administration planned to handle the situation if a mob
surged into the Mukata.

This leaves one of two possibilities;

#1 Sharon didn't realize that the obvious scenario would take place and
hence did not plan for it.

#2 Sharon knew what was going to happen and thought that opening the barn
door would put an end to the problem of the terrorists in the Mukata by
allowing them to escape.

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-6106666 subscriber 4811
Website: http://www.imra.org.il