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Last update - 20:42 26/03/2009
IAF Sudan strike / Olmert: Israel will target threats near and far
By Yossi Melman, Amos Harel and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies
Tags: Sudan, Israel News, IAF, Gaza

Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted on Thursday at Israel's suspected role in an air-strike that reportedly hit a convoy of arms smugglers as it drove through Sudan toward Egypt in January.

"We operate everywhere where we can hit terror infrastructure - in close places, in places further away, everywhere where we can hit terror infrastructure, we hit them and we hit them in a way that increases deterrence," said Olmert, speaking at a conference in Herzliya.

"It was true in the north in a series of incidents and it was true in the south, in a series of incidents," he added. There is no point in going into detail, and everybody can use their imagination. Those who need to know, know. And those who need to know, know that there is no place where Israel cannot operate. There is no such place."

Earlier Thursday, two senior Sudanese politicians confirmed that unidentified aircraft attacked the suspected arms smugglers, killing almost everyone in the convoy. An American news network said that the attack was carried out by the Israel Air Force.



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CBS reported that the IAF carried out the attack on a convoy of trucks in Sudan carrying arms for Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

According to the report, 39 people riding in the 17-truck convoy were killed, while a number of civilians in the area were injured.

Israeli officials declined to confirm or deny whether Israel had been involved in an air strike in Sudan.

The Sudanese politicians, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the strike took place in a remote area of east Sudan but did not say who carried it out.

Sudanese State Minister Mabrouk Mubarak Saleem was quoted in the Paris-based Sudan Tribune Web site as saying that a "major power bombed small trucks carrying arms, burning all of them."

The strike "killed Sudanese, Eritreans and Ethiopians, and injured others," Saleem added.

The two Sudanese politicians who knew about the January attack said it was still unclear where the aircraft came from. But one of the sources, a senior politician from eastern Sudan, said his colleagues had spoken to a survivor of the raid.

"There was an Ethiopian fellow, a mechanic. He was the only one who survived. He said they came in two planes. They passed over them then came back and they shot the cars. He couldn't tell the nationality of the aircraft ... The aircraft destroyed the vehicles. There were four or five vehicles," he said.

The politician added that the route, in a desert region northwest of Port Sudan on the Red Sea cost, was regularly used by groups smuggling weapons into Egypt.

"Everyone knows they are smuggling weapons to the southern part of Egypt," he said.

The CBS national security correspondent David Martin broke the story. He said that Israeli intelligence learned of plans to move weapons through Sudan, north toward Egypt and then via the Sinai into the Gaza Strip.

According to Martin, Israel and the U.S. had signed an agreement for closer international efforts to block smuggling of arms into the Gaza Strip.

During the final days of the Israeli offensive against Hamas, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her then-American counterpart Condoleezza Rice signed a security-intelligence memorandum on intensifying cooperation in a joint effort to block the smuggling of arms from Iran to Hamas via Sudan.

The Sudanese news site said the attack took place "in a desert area northwest of Port Sudan city, near Mount al-Sha'anun."

'Airstrike an embarrassment to Sudan'

According to SudanTribune.com, the airstrike was an "embarrassment" to Sudan's government, and it discussed the matter with Egypt's government "to gather more information to formulate a response."

On the basis of the report from Sudan, American reporters sought confirmation from U.S. administration officials, which led them to the conclusion that the air strike did take place but that the U.S. Air Force was not involved and that the aircraft were Israeli.

CBS correspondent Dan Raviv said that "if Israeli airplanes carried out the attack in Sudan, it would suggest that there is a shadow against Hamas and its weapons sources that is wider than the Israeli or U.S. government has revealed."

In the original Sudanese report, an unidentified Egyptian official was quoted as saying that the planes that carried out the attack were based out of many countries in the region, and some observers guessed that he meant Djibouti, but there is no such confirmation.

Israeli defense sources have reiterated on a number of occasions that Iran embarked on an intensive effort to supply Hamas with weapons and ammunition during Operation Cast Lead.

The Israeli security sources said that an international network has been set in place in which smugglers move arms caches from Iran through the Persian Gulf to Yemen, on to Sudan and then to Egypt and Sinai where they are brought into the Gaza Strip through tunnels.

Israeli intelligence has warned that the deliveries include anti-tank missiles, small arms, and military grade high explosives, as well as missiles.

Meanwhile, in May, an international conference is scheduled to take place in Ottawa, the third of its kind since the end of Operation Cast Lead, which will discuss how to prevent arms smuggling from Iran to the Gaza Strip.

In addition to host Canada, Britain, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Denmark, the U.S. and Israel will also take part.

Immediately after the conference a "war game" is scheduled to take place in Washington, with the participation of security officials and diplomats from the countries involved. The "war game" will practice a scenario of foiling arms smuggling from Iran to the Gaza Strip.

The most recent conference took place in London a week ago and the countries cooperating in blocking the arms smuggling from Iran formulated a joint plan of operations. The plan includes the signing of a series of bilateral agreements with countries situated along the path of the smugglers, as well as countries whose commercial fleets carry cargo from Iran elsewhere.

Related articles:
  • Olmert: Gaza war won't end until rockets and smuggling stop
  • Despite IDF resistance, France urges European observers to monitor Gaza
  • Sarkozy: Halt to arms smuggling is key to Gaza cease-fire
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      1.   Israel, a menace to the world, not Iran! 06:42  |  Niva dos Santos 26/03/09
      2.   GOOD JOB IAF, CONGRATS AGAIN. 06:45  |  BOB KING 26/03/09
      3.   Bombing Africans 06:49  |  george 26/03/09
      4.   Keep at it IAF!!! 07:16  |  Victor 26/03/09
      5.   #3 George: you must be kidding 07:46  |  Yoni 26/03/09
      6.   # 3 - George 08:09  |  Robert 26/03/09
      7.   Now that`s what I call proactive! 08:11  |  topdog 26/03/09
      8.   Well Done Israel ! 08:13  |  Khaled 26/03/09
      9.   essential and excellent mission 08:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/03/09
      10.   re: #1 08:21  |  danny 26/03/09
      11.   Israel`s way for peace : Bomb everybody 08:21  |  Jalil 26/03/09
      12.   good on ya, IDF 08:23  |  Jeet 26/03/09
      13.   the long arm of the IDF reaches all terrorists 08:40  |  danny 26/03/09
      14.   George, have you anything to say 08:48  |  Tzfonit 26/03/09
      15.   Pre-Emption-Our Right!!!!! Kol HaKavod L`Tzahal 09:10  |  Yonatan Maisel 26/03/09
      16.   They got a taste of their own medecine.....bravo IAF 09:15  |  maurice 26/03/09
      17.   Why? 09:24  |  JBT 26/03/09
      18.   bombing Sudan 09:35  |  ari 26/03/09
      19.   GEORGE .Why are Sudanese refugees trying to reach Israel? 09:39  |  PETER SM 26/03/09
      20.   MORE ATROCITIES!!! 09:59  |  Samy 26/03/09
      21.   Terror must be wiped out, most othes are cowards to confront this 10:05  |  Harvey 26/03/09
      22.   Reclaim the Philadelphi Corridor 10:07  |  Peter Williams 26/03/09
      23.   Israel not overseas from Sudan, Niva #1 10:09  |  yonatan 26/03/09
      24.   Good news, way to go! 10:25  |  Johnny 26/03/09
      25.   To Jalil #10 - Israel can`t find anyone around here 10:27  |  B`galil 26/03/09
      26.   Samy, Samy, Samy 10:38  |  mark aleshnick 26/03/09
      27.   Many comments in this insignificant blog... 10:58  |  Watcher 26/03/09
      28.   Only ONE nationality was killed in this defensive strike... 10:59  |  Even Steven 26/03/09
      29.   Forgot to tell how many Sudanese refugees come into Israel if ... 11:09  |  lily 26/03/09
      30.   Port Sudan well isn`t that a long distance to fly 11:21  |  Gil 26/03/09
      31.   Port Sudan well isn`t that a long distance to fly 11:23  |  Gil 26/03/09
      32.   Another steaming pile of buffalo droppings 11:25  |  Clickfool 26/03/09
      33.   Kol HaKavod L`Tzahal 11:29  |  Bravo IDF 26/03/09
      34.   Jalil 11 12:24  |  ChanahS 26/03/09
      35.   To Clickfool 12:27  |  Italian Zionist 26/03/09
      36.   So actually it`s Islam versus Israel... 12:33  |  Esther 26/03/09
      37.   Dear Cipora #27... it happens to all of us sometimes... 12:34  |  Esther 26/03/09
      38.   Those says it is Israel`s right 12:38  |  Ramzi 26/03/09
      39.   Mazel Tov! 12:45  |  petra 26/03/09
      40.   To Niva 12:49  |  Liat 26/03/09
      41.   To Niva 13:03  |  Liat 26/03/09
      42.   Clickfool # 34 The Planes Were Probably Detected 13:03  |  Jeff Northridge 26/03/09
      43.   IAF strike 13:03  |  victor arram 26/03/09
      44.   Blame the Togo air force.......... 13:05  |  Kenny 26/03/09
      45.   Consider the source 13:05  |  Mark Lincoln 26/03/09
      46.   Israel is acting like the boy with the finger in the dam 13:07  |  Danny 26/03/09
      47.   #1 Niva dos Diabos 13:15  |  Danny 26/03/09
      48.   Answer to Ramzi 13:19  |  Italian Zionist 26/03/09
      49.   Can`t say I`m sorry 13:22  |  Lynn 26/03/09
      50.   Bravo IDF! 13:30  |  Nechama 26/03/09
      51.   # 38 Esther....when hasn`t it been? 13:37  |  Lynn 26/03/09
      52.   # 50 Italian zionist 14:04  |  Jan 26/03/09
      53.   Shame on the rest of the world 14:08  |  ed 26/03/09
      54.   Policy of appeasement and military solution, Danny#48 14:10  |  Sceptic 26/03/09
      55.   IAF strike in Sudan 14:10  |  the bergsonian 26/03/09
      56.   whatever u do or think 14:11  |  dov 26/03/09
      57.   This was probably a US operation 14:15  |  Mark Lincoln 26/03/09
      58.   #34 14:17  |  Jay Eb 26/03/09
      59.   A Brilliant Offensive!Thank You IAF Well done,And 14:19  |  Whiskey 26/03/09
      60.   Sudan the Butcher 14:21  |  Brod 26/03/09
      61.   Gil flight distance 14:24  |  Roo 26/03/09
      62.   I`m not surprised any more ... 14:24  |  Edith 26/03/09
      63.   Even Steven @30 The bashing gives them relief BUT! 14:26  |  Whiskey 26/03/09
      64.   Practice for Iran? Similar distance? Stealth? 14:29  |  just wondering 26/03/09
      65.   Ramzi in Beirut 14:33  |  Jasper 26/03/09
      66.   1000 more weapons smuggling routes and tunnels to take down 14:37  |  Joseph.E 26/03/09
      67.   To Clickool (# 34). Poor Clickfool. 14:42  |  flyingdoc57 26/03/09
      68.   Very good, IAF 14:47  |  Astrit 26/03/09
      69.   No where is safe for arm smuglers 15:11  |  Abuya 26/03/09
      70.   to Jan 15:27  |  yosi 26/03/09
      71.   to #49 Re Danny, essa Niva é dos diabos mesmo 15:30  |  JP 26/03/09
      72.   Slave owner N. dos Santos,how much of Rain Forest have you burne 15:30  |  Absolute Sweden 26/03/09
      73.   Marvelouys Israel, show to Iran and Sudan how weaken they are 15:32  |  JP 26/03/09
      74.   Two fighters? 15:43  |  Mark Lincoln 26/03/09
      75.   A Fair Chance To Israel 15:45  |  Eli 26/03/09
      76.   To Brod@ 63 Sudan The Butcher and.. 15:46  |  Whiskey 26/03/09
      77.   Before going off the deep end here oh wait too late 15:51  |  Gee 26/03/09
      78.   Sudan 15:52  |  Marco 26/03/09
      79.   Niva in Brazil: How is Sean Goldman? 15:52  |  Christopher 26/03/09
      80.   It`s a drop in the bucket. 15:58  |  Ibrahim 26/03/09
      81.   Sovereign country 16:00  |  Noria 26/03/09
      82.   Mark Lincoln # 60 I Don`t Think So 16:03  |  Jeff Northridge 26/03/09
      83.   Quickf get UN to condemn Israel! `War Crime!` Killing innocent... 16:07  |  bat yam 26/03/09
      84.   Africans should leave Arabs to fight their war 16:22  |  Ben Kokas 26/03/09
      85.   Ibrahim,whole Miami Police Force is a drop in the bucket 16:26  |  Absolute Sweden 26/03/09
      86.   to marco #77 16:27  |  Mehdi 26/03/09
      87.   GOOD JOB IAF? 16:30  |  Edward 26/03/09
      88.   Israel is the light to nations . 16:33  |  TOMY 26/03/09
      89.   How can hamas kill civilain, when they have no weapons. 16:39  |  evil Rockefeller 26/03/09
      90.   To #78 16:40  |  Ben Kokas 26/03/09
      91.   Ibrahim response 16:41  |  arik 26/03/09
      92.   Sceptic complaining about history #56 16:48  |  Roo 26/03/09
      93.   IAF strikes again 16:51  |  Max de Meijer 26/03/09
      94.   Sudan High Ranking Official Info led to IAF Strike 16:51  |  Joseph.E 26/03/09
      95.   THIS ATTACK IS ILLEGAL, A DECLARATION OF WAR 16:53  |  indrajaya 26/03/09
      96.   GOOD JOB! 16:56  |  Say_No_to_Terrorism 26/03/09
      97.   #1 Niva Israel did not smuggle the weapons 17:01  |  BIG SUR 26/03/09
      98.   #3 George 17:03  |  BIG SUR 26/03/09
      99.   Defending Israel 17:07  |  Carole 26/03/09
      100.   #34 Cliky the fool what about Entebbe another drop in the Bucket 17:08  |  BIG SUR 26/03/09
      101.   Prevention 17:12  |  Danny 26/03/09
      102.   #54 Jan one espects that for that period Arabs wanted to destroy 17:15  |  Big Sur 26/03/09
      103.   Sudan Strike 17:18  |  Douglas Fireman 26/03/09
      104.   CJK # 9 Are you congratualating yourselfe? 17:18  |  Peter Mall 26/03/09
      105.   #78 Ibrahin so if Israel goes into Gaza and destroys with small w 17:19  |  Big SUR 26/03/09
      106.   #79 Noria that threatening country has had enough 60 years of hat 17:20  |  Big Sur 26/03/09
      107.   TO ANTI ISRAEL, ANTI ZIONISTS, ANTI SEMITES 17:22  |  DISRAELI 26/03/09
      108.   Africa is not a terrorist base 17:25  |  Dedieu 26/03/09
      109.   #11 17:25  |  Douglas Fireman 26/03/09
      110.   To Jan (54) benefits of occupation 17:36  |  Italian Zionist 26/03/09
      111.   bombing smugglers in Sudan is NOT against africa 17:38  |  chalom 26/03/09
      112.   Israel airstrike on Sudan 17:40  |  Scooter 26/03/09
      113.   You know the same PPL that say no one should bomb armshipments 17:46  |  Big Sur 26/03/09
      114.   ta daaa 17:56  |  pepe 26/03/09
      115.   This is not surprising;anyone who knows the Word of God,also know 17:57  |  glenna 26/03/09
      116.   To Jan(54) benefits of occupation 18:01  |  Italian Zionist 26/03/09
      117.   publicity stunt 18:10  |  mojo 26/03/09
      118.   I hope more 18:20  |  Pedro 26/03/09
      119.   Fairness and Reality - Ramzi and others on the "Double Standard" 18:39  |  Eli 26/03/09
      120.   EMPTY TRUCKS 18:52  |  AARON 26/03/09
      121.   CLICKFOOL#34 IS UTTERLY RIGHT. HE IS SIMPLY POINTING OUT WHAT... 19:06  |  MOSHEH 26/03/09
      122.   Aaron - Empty Trucks? 19:10  |  Mark Lincoln 26/03/09
      123.   17 GONE, 170 MORE TO GO 19:11  |  indrajaya 26/03/09
      124.   Go Israel! 19:23  |  4:20 26/03/09
      125.   T Mark L @76 Please don`t be a "WET BLANKET"..The Saudis would.. 19:24  |  Whiskey 26/03/09
      126.   For Mark L @ 76 An Addendum:Egypt and Jordan too. 19:29  |  Whiskey 26/03/09
      127.   Okay Dedieu @105..Is that how you dealt with Robert Mugabe? 19:35  |  Whiskey 26/03/09
      128.   Above the law 19:43  |  fritz t. 26/03/09
      129.   To #1 19:51  |  Raphael 26/03/09
      130.   To Clickfool- The biggest buffalo dropping.. 19:52  |  Elliott 26/03/09
      131.   To mojo.#116 no publicity stunt..And Yes it had to be done.Why 20:00  |  Whiskey 26/03/09
      132.   This time I agree: WELL DONE! 20:10  |  Markus Grafenburg 26/03/09
      133.   Israel is our true friend and protector. 20:12  |  Maria 26/03/09
      134.   #82 Jeff Northridge..Mark Lincoln is being puerile. 20:39  |  Whiskey 26/03/09
      135.   "Everyone knows they are smuggling weapons to the southern part o 21:49  |  Ian 26/03/09
      136.   #57 Mark Lincoln 21:51  |  leoblue 26/03/09
      137.   Um,yay. 21:52  |  DavidB 26/03/09
      138.   39 killed, react! 22:04  |  Terry 26/03/09
      139.   I`m surprised 22:07  |  ashamed 26/03/09
      140.   Jews and Israelis told watch out everywhere by Nazrullah 22:31  |  Big Sur 26/03/09
      141.   America and Britain supply Israel and LOL sudan supplies gaza 22:33  |  Wisdom 26/03/09
      142.   #25 Israel occupies the lands, and .... 22:46  |  Al 26/03/09
      143.   Obama and the US 01:27  |  Nadine 27/03/09
      144.   It matters little what the non Israeli world thinks 01:28  |  Zolman ben Moshe 27/03/09
      145.   #138 Terry 04:19  |  Joe 27/03/09
      146.   A shot in your own foot Israel 05:17  |  Rick 27/03/09
      147.   #47 07:50  |  Niva dos Santos 27/03/09
      148.   #72 07:57  |  Niva dos santos 27/03/09
      149.   #97 08:16  |  Niva dos Santos 27/03/09
      150.   #129 08:20  |  Niva dos Santos 27/03/09
      151.   Wisdom of Londonium soon to be Londonistan 08:41  |  Ari ben Yisrael 27/03/09
      152.   Iran is a menace to the world 10:00  |  lily 27/03/09
      153.   OLMERT......Sudan 2nd atmt. 12:25  |  The Teacher/Instruct 27/03/09
      154.   Re: Israel`s way for peace: Bomb everybody 12:36  |  Max 27/03/09
      155.   # 32 clickfool 17:46  |  The Teacher/instruct 27/03/09
      156.   clickfool . sudan buffalo 2nd atmt 23:17  |  The Teacher/Instruct 27/03/09
      157.   IAF Sudan Air Strike - What If... 22:14  |  Jack 28/03/09
      158.   To Ibrahim 18:10  |  Amina 01/04/09
      159.   Lily PLEASE 18:18  |  Rose Mary 01/04/09
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