MIDDLE EAST/FILE: Expert says Israel could bomb in Sudan, following media reports of attack on Gaza-bound weaponry convoy

Record ID: 353006

  • Title: MIDDLE EAST/FILE: Expert says Israel could bomb in Sudan, following media reports of attack on Gaza-bound weaponry convoy
  • Date: 27th March 2009
  • Summary: PETAH TIKVA, ISRAEL (MARCH 26, 2009) (REUTERS) FORMER ISRAELI AIRFORCE COMMANDER AVIHU BIN NUN WALKING TOWARDS CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER ISRAELI AIRFORCE COMMANDER AVIHU BIN NUN, SAYING: "First of all, you have to know before you take off if the target is there, and five hours about, before the attack you have to know where will the convoy be five hours later wh
  • Embargoed: 11th April 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA16I9328MKQAL94C5PP3IPNYG4
  • Story Text: Former Israeli airforce commander explains how Israel could bomb in Sudan, after media reports on an Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound weaponry convoy in January.
    A former Israeli Air Force Commander on Thursday (March 26) explained how Israel could bomb in Sudan, after media reports said the Jewish state attacked a weaponry convoy heading to the Gaza Strip via Sudan in January.
    The Israeli military declined to comment on the U.S. media report that its aircraft carried out an attack in Sudan to destroy weapons bound for Hamas Islamists in the Gaza Strip.
    A blog written by a CBS News reporter on the television network's Web site said a government minister in Sudan had accused the U.S. air force of killing dozens of people in the north African country in January.
    The blog said CBS's U.S. national security correspondent had been told, however, that Israeli aircraft carried out the attack.
    According to the blog, Israeli intelligence was said to have discovered weapons were being trucked to Sudan and were to have been smuggled into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip via Egypt.
    A senior Israeli defence official has described the report as nonsense.
    Speaking in the Israeli town of Petah Tikva, former Israeli airforce commander Avihu Bin Nun told Reuters that he could not confirm such an attack, but explained how it could be possible.

    "First of all, you have to know before you take off if the target is there, and five hours about, before the attack you have to know where will the convoy be five hours later when you come." Bin Nun said, "You have to refuel because you cannot go there and come back without refuelling and that's an operation by itself, and all that is done 1,400 kilometres away - it's a very unique capability."
    Bin Nun went on to explain what considerations Israel would have taken before launching such an attack.

    "Sudan is a hostile country, they are supporting Hamas, supporting terrorists, They are one of those countries in the world, they have their own war in the south which is genocide against the Christians over there, and in such a case we have to take into consideration they would like to, they might want to retaliate in one way or another and we have to be ready for that, " he said.
    Israeli forces launched a 22-day offensive in the Gaza Strip on Dec. 27 with the declared aim of halting rocket attacks against Israel by Palestinian militants, who maintain a network of smuggling tunnels running under the border with Egypt.
    Israel signed an agreement with the United States in January that pledged international efforts to choke off arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip.
    Israel has accused Iran of being a main weapons supplier to Gaza militants.
    Speaking in Gaza City, senior Hamas official Usama Al-Muzaini denied receiving any weaponry from exterior sources.

    "Hamas does not receive weapons from any country or any other side. To have convoys driving weapons to Hamas is a false statement and comes under the mockery and censorship which Israel always tries to execute."
    Al-Muzaini said.
    Earlier this month, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his cabinet that Israel had carried out "countless major, important and decisive" covert operations during his term, Israeli political sources said.
    In September 2007, Israeli aircraft bombed a site in Syria that U.S.
    intelligence said was a nearly completed secret nuclear reactor. Syria has said the target was a conventional military building.
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