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urban battlefield

Wed, Apr 10, 2002 at 9:19:48 am PDT

From wounded soldiers, first-person accounts of the terrorist ambush in Jenin: “They simply sprayed us with bullets.”

Ron Drori, 30, is from Jerusalem and is studying for a masters degree at Hebrew University. He was brought to the hospital's orthopedic unit after sustaining shrapnel wounds in his leg. "We got a mission as part of the mopping up and began to advance at first light on the route they gave us. We didn't encounter any resistance. The company commander checked three houses to see whether we could enter and hold them, but he decided they were too dangerous. We continued to advance and funneled into a narrow alley. Suddenly, a bomb exploded in the midst of the soldiers. I'm not sure where it came from. Straight afterwards, there was another bomb. Almost immediately, they started a burst of massive gunfire at us from all directions. They simply sprayed us with bullets. I managed to get out by moving backward and I started to shoot back. They fired at us from ranges of 20 meters. I fear that at this stage our company commander was killed. I finished all of the magazines and began to fire my grenades. A soldier behind me was unable to fire, maybe due to shock. I took a magazine from him and fired it and then I apparently exposed my leg for a moment and was hit by a ricochet. I was able to move myself backward and then other soldiers came to help me get out of there."

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16 comments

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Eric (2) Wed, Apr 10, 2002 7:43:45am

'terrorist ambush'? These were soldiers on an eradication mission, going house to house and shooting everything that moves. They were attacked and killed by people defending their homes. Terrorism? What a joke. You are removing all meaning from that word and making it a lot easier for anyone to be called a terrorist.

Michael Glazer Wed, Apr 10, 2002 7:58:35am

Israel Solidarity rally on Washington April 15 Monday 1:00 P.M

M. Simon Wed, Apr 10, 2002 8:00:19am

War is very unfortunate.

If the ex-Jordanians don't want a war they ought to vote in a new government.

If they like the government they have these are the consequences. There was a peace offer on the table. Since the peace offer was not good enough they now have a war offer.

My advice: if the ex-Jordanians don't like tanks in their streets don't raise their children to be homicidal. It has an unsettling effect on the neighborhood. The alternative is they should take the next offer kiss the Israelis hand and get on with the rewards of peace.

Before the start of the stupidfada ex-Jordanian unemployment went from 35% to 15% over a period of four years. It is now over 50%.

They chose war over peace.

Regretable.

michael Wed, Apr 10, 2002 8:04:19am

On the news last night they showed footage of an anti-Israel demonstration here in SF. One of the protesters had a sign that showed a drawing of the Star of David and the Nazi Swastika. The caption was Sharon=Hitler. What is wrong with these people???

Rand Simberg Wed, Apr 10, 2002 8:05:20am

I have to confess that I'm not sure what the point of this post is. It sounds to me like they're simply describing a firefight in a battle between the IDF and whichever militia, or militias, they were engaged with.

At least the Palestinians were engaging the military this time, and there's nothing particularly surprising or outrageous about it, per se. Which is not to say that I don't hope that they're eradicated (the militants and terrorists, that is), and quickly.

Robert Crawford Wed, Apr 10, 2002 8:11:40am

To be charitable, it was an ambush conducted by terrorists.

Charles Wed, Apr 10, 2002 8:15:52am

Actually, there was a point; I got a phone call and forgot what I was going to write.

I was going to mention that this soldier’s description reveals a common battlefield problem: a certain percentage of soldiers will freeze and be unable to fire on other humans.

Which makes the suicide bomber phenomenon even more frightening, because not only have they overcome the barrier to inflicting harm on others, they’ve also suppressed their survival instinct. It’s a profoundly anti-human strategy.

A Canadian Wed, Apr 10, 2002 8:30:42am

aipac.org must pay you well to be so blind to IDF abuses.

American Nurse: ambulances used for executions
by News will Prevail • Wednesday April10 , 2002 at09 : 49AM
[Link: jerusalem.indymedia.org...]

Charles Wed, Apr 10, 2002 8:44:56am

Yep, you caught me, anonymous Canadian coward. Right now I’m eating caviar while relaxing in my ermine bathrobe, smoking a Cuban cigar. Man, does aipac.org pay great!

(Who the hell is aipac.org?)

And thanks for the link to the PLO Propaganda News Network. It’s always good for people to see for themselves exactly how fucking hateful and twisted the enemy is. The people who run that site are doing the world a great favor.

By the way, here’s a video (Windows Media) showing what the Palestinians do with their Red Crescent ambulances.

An American Wed, Apr 10, 2002 8:49:44am

Anyone who thinks indymedia is a good source for news is either an idiot or deluded.

Robert Crawford Wed, Apr 10, 2002 9:37:26am

Anyone who goes to Indymedia for anything but comic relief or "what are the Nazis saying today" is both an idiot AND deluded.

Damian Penny Wed, Apr 10, 2002 9:47:31am

As another Canadian, I felt compelled to check out the NaziMedia link provided by "A Canadian" above. I was pleasantly surprised by this comment, which proves that at least one Palestinian "gets it":

"if we didn't send in the stupid suicide bombers none of this would be happening."

Now, how long does this poor guy have before he's executed as a "collaborator"?

Annoying Old Guy Wed, Apr 10, 2002 9:51:28am

I think the point is (as some other blogger pointed out), Israel is enduring this kind of thing instead of taking the US approach: carpet bombing the entire place with daisy cutters and then sending in the troops.

That said, I don't see this action by the Palestinian as "terrorist" or inappropriate.

Charles Wed, Apr 10, 2002 10:14:23am

The ambushers wore no uniforms. They belonged to no legitimate military. You can say they were protecting their homes, but you must recognize that they were also protecting the bomb labs and stores of arms and ammunition that were hidden among those homes. The blame for the devastation in these camps should not fall on the IDF, but rather on the (yes) terrorists who have deliberately concealed their evil among people who just want to live their lives in peace.

This is what Chairman Arafat has brought upon his people.

Devon Wed, Apr 10, 2002 10:59:03am

Again, can somebody tell me how they categorize which Palestinians are civilians and which are propagating the Intifada? It wasn't clear in the movie.....the point is, doesn't anyone remember the logic we applied to invading japan at the end of WWII, that everybody as going to be armed and ready?

Taro Tokyo Wed, Apr 10, 2002 5:05:47pm

An ambush like this is not terrorism. It's urban guerrilla warfare. I am an Israeli partisan but I see nothing surprising or outrageous about this. It's a war. The only mistake would be for the Israelis to do what Clinton did after losing men in Mogadishu. They must show resolve.

And using heavy artillery is still not an option for Israel (yet, at this stage) although threatening to wage war Amirican style was a nice touch.