In Depth Analysis Of Targeted Killings In Iraq & Gaza Strip
Dr. Dan Schueftan, an Arab Affairs analyst at Haifa University assesses the short and long-term impact of the U.S. targeted killing of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi in Iraq. The expert also compares it with Israels killing of Palestinian warlord Jamal Abu Samhadana in the Gaza Strip.
‘The road to stability in Iraq is still very, very long despite the targeted killing of al Al-Zarqawi. Thats the view of Israeli analyst Dan Schueftan who says that only the systematic elimination of terrorists may deter others. But at present Iraqi society is split and the terrorist state of mind can be expected to prevail for some time to come.Moreover, the U.S. will not commit the very large forces that are necessary to suppress the violence while the Iraqi society is split about doing so.
By comparison, Israels targeted killing of Palestinian warlord Jamal Abu Samhadana in the Gaza Strip is part of a round the clock campaign that has succeeded in reducing Palestinian violence by 75% since 2003.Such preventative tactics combined with the building of the security fence have had a cumulative effect. Israel has also signaled that it will not grant immunity to terrorist leaders who are given official positions. The Hamas government had actually appointed Samhadana, known to have murdered scores of Israelis, to head its security force. He was killed when Israeli aircraft struck a terrorists training base at about midnight. Although the terrorists threaten to avenge his death, Schueftan says it makes little difference because the Palestinians try to wreak as much havoc as they can anyway.