From J Post Mar. 14, 2006 By YAAKOV KATZ, MARGOT DUDKEVITCH, JPOST.COM STAFF, AND AP JERICHO . . .
Ahmed Sa'adat, the mastermind behind the assassination of former tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi in 2001, was captured alive by IDF troops Tuesday evening following a day-long siege of the Jericho prison where he was being held. Five other men wanted by the IDF for involvement in the killing were also arrested. . . .
Israel decided to raid the prison compound after US and British monitors left the prison citing security concerns. The monitors, according to a deal between Israel and former PA President Yasser Arafat, were charged with ensuring the incarceration of Ze'evi's killers. Naveh reiterated Israel's stance that there was no prior cooperation between the US and Britain with Israel, and that the IDF was not informed by the monitors as to their decision to leave the prison.
. . .During operation "Pay a Visit," which began Tuesday morning, Nahal Brigade troops along with the police's special anti-terror unit, broke into the facility amidst reports of explosions and heavy gunfire. PA sources said two Palestinians were killed - one policeman and one inmate - while three others were wounded in the exchange of fire.
Aside from the six, some 200 prisoners had already surrendered to IDF troops and were taken to the nearby Jewish settlement of Vered Jericho for interrogation. According to the IDF, whoever was of interest to security forces would be kept in Israeli custody. Seventy-six others, who were not of interest to security forces, were returned to the custody of the PA.
However, the main target of the operation was Sa'adat, who is the secretary general of the Popular Front of the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
. . .An IDF officer explained that at around 9:30 in the morning, soldiers at the checkpoint to Jericho noticed the US and British monitors leaving the city, and that was how the IDF found out that the monitors were gone. Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra told Israel Radio that once it became evident that the international monitors had left the compound, as per the announcement of UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw, there was no other choice but to capture the PFLP operatives, who were likely to be released by the Hamas-led PA government.
. . .The IDF spokesman issued the following statement, "Due to the violations of understandings reached with the Palestinian Authority regarding the incarceration of the murderers of government minister Ze'evi murderers and additional senior terrorists in the Jericho jail, and after international monitors left the city due to the PA's violations, security forces, after receiving a government directive, have entered the jail to arrest the Ze'evi murderers and additional terrorists."
Sa'adat is being held for his involvement in ordering the assassination of Ze'evi in 2001. In accordance with an arrangement with the PA, he was guarded by British and US wardens, in addition to Palestinian jailers.
However, Straw criticized the PA for failing to guarantee the monitors' security, blaming the PA for their withdrawal. "The UK and the US withdrew our monitors from the Jericho Monitoring Mission on March 14. It is the prime responsibility of the Palestinian Authority to ensure the personal security of the monitors. Over the last months it has become increasingly clear that the Palestinian Authority is unable to do this," he said in a statement released Tuesday.
According to Straw, "The UK and the US have repeatedly raised our concerns over the security of our monitors with the Palestinian Authority and urged them to meet their obligations under the Ramallah agreement. Unfortunately, there has been no improvement. The Palestinian Authority has consistently failed to meet its obligations under the Ramallah Agreement.". . .
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