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Senior IDF officer confirms Iran training militants in Gaza
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

GOC Southern Command Major General Yoav Galant has confirmed that Iranian terror and guerrilla experts are in the Gaza Strip training Palestinian terror organizations. Galant says the Iranians are the source of most of the know-how coming to the West Bank, Lebanon and Iraq on the use of land mines, explosives and anti-tank missiles.

The crux of Maj.-Gen. Galant's remarks, delivered at a lecture at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a Middle East policy think-tank headed by Dore Gold, were published by the center last week.

Galant said terrorists move freely between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and from there to Syria, Lebanon and Iran for training. "Iranians also come to Gaza to inspect the situation and hold training exercises." he said.

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Galant contends that the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, has already become an Iranian organization, and that Iran has had a similar influence on the Islamic Jihad.

Galant said he believes a large number of Iranian terror experts are operating in the Gaza Strip, receiving know-how, money and equipment from abroad, mainly from Iran, to carry out attacks on Israel.

Galant said Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees are investing major efforts in sending suicide bombers into Israel. Hamas is not active right now, "but is ready to attack at a moment's notice."

He said Hamas smuggled 30 tons of explosives from Sinai to the Gaza Strip last year for use against Israel.

Galant added that Israel believed the Gaza Strip "would remain unstable because of certain basic factors having to do with population, territory, and resources." Unlike these basics, however, "the ideology is the Palestinians' choice. They choose to follow Hamas and this is part of the problem.

After Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Galant said, "the Palestinians were left with natural gas, greenhouses, and fields. In other words, they had the option to take another route. However, they chose terror and elected Hamas."
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  1.   Live by the sword Die by the Sword 03:49  |  Dale Orosco 22/04/07
  2.   Israel should fight back hard. 04:28  |  Clickfool 22/04/07
  3.   Iran at your doorstep 04:39  |  Brod 22/04/07
  4.   30 tons of explosives 04:45  |  vik 22/04/07
  5.   Not a reason to send Iran an atomic weapon. 04:46  |  Ian Robertson 22/04/07
  6.   IDF: Please send these Iranians to hell. 05:14  |  Fortuna Benmayor 22/04/07
  7.   I am the real Clickfool, not "Clickfool". 05:17  |  Clickfool 22/04/07
  8.   Lessons from Lebanon 06:00  |  Nathaniel 22/04/07
  9.   withou the big satan israel is nothing 06:35  |  arab 22/04/07
  10.   Iranians 06:40  |  PO`d 22/04/07
  11.   IDF are lying again, yawn 07:12  |  Marilyn 22/04/07
  12.   Clickfool 07:14  |  Danite 22/04/07
  13.   Training free vs Raptor jet planes for free 07:22  |  Omran 22/04/07
  14.   What BS Major -General Galant is spewing out.... 07:25  |  Dutch 22/04/07
  15.   No, I am the real Clickfool not Clickfool 07:39  |  Clickfool 22/04/07
  16.   Dutch 14 07:54  |  Shimon List 22/04/07
  17.   Israel itself is a big terror organization 08:01  |  Christian 22/04/07
  18.   When it comes to the Palestinians, the Israeil 08:03  |  Norwegian 22/04/07
  19.   Oh Wisest Wizard Wisest Dutch! You can see where is thuth........ 08:09  |  People of the World 22/04/07
  20.   Yes as usual , they tell us they know , yadi yada , 08:15  |  Joseph E . 22/04/07
  21.   Clickfool-The real one 10:11  |  Clickfool 22/04/07
  22.   "and King Hassan said" 11:08  |  Otto 22/04/07
  23.   #21 Clickfool 11:11  |  rabbi Burns 22/04/07
  24.   #21 the FOOL on losing things 11:12  |  Ari ben Yisrael 22/04/07
  25.   The 11:21  |  Dav 22/04/07
  26.   No incentive for them to stop, Israel doesn`t fight back. 11:52  |  Jon 22/04/07
  27.   A FINEST GUERRILLA IN THE WORLD 13:11  |  indrajaya 22/04/07
  28.   Nothing to do with Israel 13:11  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/04/07
  29.   lost opportunity 14:15  |  ravi 22/04/07
  30.   IT BECOMES MORE CLEAR 14:15  |  Brant 22/04/07
  31.   # 14 Dutch ist Completely Right! 15:17  |  Arik 22/04/07
  32.   28Chris Linthwaite: Imagine Iranians training Irish terrorists 15:32  |  Logician 22/04/07
  33.   28Chris Linthwaite: What is your point? 15:44  |  Logician 22/04/07
  34.   29 Ravi: Lost opportunity for peace in Kashmir? 15:58  |  Logician 22/04/07
  35.   I am the real clickfool. 18:26  |  Clickfool 22/04/07
  36.   Chris Linthwaite 18:31  |  rich 22/04/07
  37.   ravi 18:34  |  rich 22/04/07
  38.   Christian 18:35  |  rich 22/04/07
  39.   #9 arab - "a generation that did not know of Joseph" 19:04  |  Yonatan 22/04/07
  40.   #17 "Christian" 19:07  |  Yonatan 22/04/07
  41.   #21 Clickfool and "jews" 19:10  |  Yonatan 22/04/07
  42.   A Lowbrow General speaking to Rednecks 19:52  |  Tosefta 22/04/07
  43.   Well, the IDF death squadrons are 19:57  |  Andreas 22/04/07
  44.   42Tosefta: On "intentions" & Guilt by Association 20:10  |  Logician 22/04/07
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  47.   Logic between the brow and the neck (Logician #44) 21:18  |  Tosefta 22/04/07
  48.   INDRAJAYA ONE DAY FINEST GUERILLAS WILL KICK OUT INDONESIA. 21:47  |  PETER SM 22/04/07
  49.   #9 If you really believe in the Koran,please.. 23:04  |  John Allen 22/04/07
  50.   to the real fool in SUCKER SEX 23:07  |  CRAZY HORSE 22/04/07
  51.   #10 Naw, the captured Iranians would just 23:07  |  John Allen 22/04/07
  52.   #13 omran, read verse in your Koran - (9:11) 23:11  |  John Allen 22/04/07
  53.   #16 Naw, dutch is not a dufus, he`s ignorant 23:14  |  John Allen 22/04/07
  54.   #17 Your correct, IRAN! 23:15  |  John Allen 22/04/07
  55.   CRIMINALISED PALESTINIANS 00:02  |  JACKAL 23/04/07
  56.   47 Tosefta: Look again at title of this Article 00:09  |  Logician 23/04/07
  57.   Push the Pals into the hands of Iran, where do they land? 00:15  |  Pablo b 23/04/07
  58.   WILL the REAL CLICKFOOL say AY 00:53  |  Gary Pineda 23/04/07
  59.   #21 02:05  |  Moshe 23/04/07
  60.   #27 02:14  |  Moshe 23/04/07
  61.   #55 03:28  |  Moshe 23/04/07
  62.   to 58 re:Clickfool 03:31  |  pinchas 23/04/07
  63.   Did you read the disclaimer? (Logician #56) 03:50  |  Tosefta 23/04/07
  64.   Is he sure 03:57  |  Gordon 23/04/07
  65.   ANDREAS.No probs the Arabs have already used British,Nazi&Soviet- 04:11  |  PETERSM 23/04/07
  66.   arab, as always I find your posting 04:14  |  Lynn 23/04/07
  67.   # 47 Unilateral withdrawal 04:19  |  Lynn 23/04/07
  68.   #52 John Allen 04:29  |  Lynn 23/04/07
  69.   63Tosefta Disclaimer is fine, as long as we avoid misimplications 04:45  |  Logician 23/04/07
  70.   64Gordon, Are you sure you are from Canada? 04:51  |  Michigan 23/04/07
  71.   #67, Lynn 04:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/04/07
  72.   Great but urgent opportunity for you (Logician #69) 05:45  |  Tosefta 23/04/07
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  75.   #66 Hey Lynn; what is up with you? 08:31  |  ballistic 23/04/07
  76.   Yip Crazy horse like I said this new holocaust of Europe 09:37  |  Bobby Thorpe 23/04/07
  77.   Don`t worry! 09:55  |  Jim 23/04/07
  78.   BULL 12:04  |  Nina 23/04/07
  79.   Clickfool,i believe U your enemis playgame as mossad 12:07  |  Nina 23/04/07
  80.   Unnecessary War 16:55  |  Wendy Ard 23/04/07
  81.   Fear and Consumption 17:03  |  Wendy Ard 23/04/07
  82.   More IDF lies 18:49  |  David 2