The Israeli military staged a drill practicing the expulsion of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and commandos even visited the intended destination, a deserted area in a foreign country, the Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv reported Thursday.
Arafat would be flown in a helicopter from his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah to a location where "there is no town or population nearby," the newspaper said, adding that the operation is ready to be carried out on short notice.
Maariv did not name the location, but Israeli television reported recently that the army had chosen the Libyan desert as the destination.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed not to harm Arafat. However, Ma'ariv said Sharon was eager to expel him after a September 19 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. Top security officials advised Sharon against the move, and instead the army laid siege to the Palestinian leader's Ramallah headquarters, lifting it earlier on this week under massive United States pressure. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
