Terrorist Suicide Attack

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Terrorist Suicide Attack at Tel Aviv Night Club
- 25 February, 2005 -
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Chain of Events

• At approximately 2315 on the eve of 25 February,
  a Palestinian civilian carrying an explosive belt
  joined a group of people waiting to enter a Tel
  Aviv nightclub, The Stage, and detonated an
  explosive device carried on his body.
• Within a number of minutes, ambulances and rescue
  teams arrived at the scene and began evacuating
  the casualties.
• The explosion resulted in the death of five
  Israeli civilians, and the injury of dozens more.

• The Palestinian terrorist, Abdullah
  Badran came from the area of Tul Karem in
  the West Bank, and was known to be
  a member of the Islamic Jihad terrorist
  or- ganization.

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Comments

• Fridays murderous attack which comes just one
  day after the establishment of a new Palestinian
  Government - was a tragic example of the
  fragility of the recent progress towards security
  stability and a return to the negotiating table
  with the Palestinian Authority.
• The PA immediately, and unequivocally, condemned
  the attack in the strongest possible terms
  claiming that such attacks sabotage efforts to
  revive the peace process and in so doing,
  undermine Palestinian interests. (Saeb Arikat)
  
• Moreover, PA Chairman Abu Mazen has given the
  order to his security forces to conduct an
  investigation into the event with the intention
  of bringing those responsible to justice.

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Comments

• The reaction of the new PA leadership comes in
  stark contrast to that of its predecessor. This
  is a welcome and important change, but
  declarations alone are insufficient in combating
  the plague of terrorism.
• Although the PA has pointed a blaming finger at
  a third party, it is irrelevant which
  organization is responsible for the attack, or
  whether or not they deny or accept this
  responsibility. The only issue of importance is
  what steps are taken to prevent such agents of
  evil be they Hizbollah, Syria, Iran, or local
  Palestinian terrorist organizations from
  killing innocent civilians and from undermining
  progress towards security cooperation and
  negotiations with the PA.
• The good intentions alone of the PA will do
  little to guarantee the personal security of
  Israeli citizens, and without this fundamental
  requirement, little if any progress can be
  achieved.

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Comments

• In order to help preserve the positive momentum
  that has developed over the past few weeks,
  Israel calls on the PA, as it has in the past, to
  take concrete and active steps against the
  terrorist organizations.
• As long as these destructive forces maintain
  their organizational structures, maintain control
  over their weapons stockpiles and are free to
  maneuver - train, plan and recruit as they
  please, they will forever hold regional security
  and the peace process hostage to their radical
  ideologies.
• Israels policy of restraint has limited
  tolerance. The lives of Israeli civilians cannot,
  and will not, be the price of the Palestinian
  Tahdiya (calm).
• Abu Mazen has claimed to make his goal the
  creation of ONE Authority, ONE rule of law and
  ONE armed force. In the face of these
  challenges, now is the time to prove his
  determination.