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Hamas militants training in the Gaza Strip.
(AP)
Last update - 14:02 28/02/2009
Report: Hamas leader says hundreds of militants trained in Iran, Syria
By Ruth Margalit, Haaretz Service
Tags: Iran, Ruth Margalit, Syria 

Hamas has sent hundreds of militants to train in Iran and Syria in the past two years, a commander in the Iz al-Din al-Qassam military wing of Hamas said in a rare interview with The Sunday Times of London.

Speaking on the record but on condition of anonymity, the Hamas commander, already a senior figure in his late twenties, told the British newspaper that Hamas had been sending militants to Iran for training in both field tactics and weapons technology since Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005. Others, he said, go to Syria for more basic training.

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We have sent seven 'courses' of our fighters to Iran," he said in the interview. "During each course, the group is trained to increase our capacity to fight."

The most promising members of each group stay longer for an advanced course and return as trainers themselves, he said, adding "We send our best brains to Tehran. It would be a waste of money to send them and then have them come back with nothing."

The report confirms assessments made by Shin Bet Director Yuval Diskin last week in a speech in front of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

"Hundreds of Hamas members have been sent to Iran for training, and not training periods of a week, two weeks or a month, but for long-term, high-quality training," committee member MK Zvi Hendel (National Union) quoted Diskin as saying last Tuesday.

The Sunday Times' report suggests that these assessments were right and that so far, 150 members of Hamas' military wing have completed training in Tehran, where they study for between 45 days and six months at a closed military base under the command of the elite Revolutionary Guard force.

An additional 150 are currently undergoing training in Tehran, the commander said.

Conditions at the base are strict, he said, adding that a further 650 Hamas militants have trained in Syria under instructors who were themselves trained in Iran. Sixty-two Hamas militants are currently in Syria, he said.

The commander continued to praise the Iranian and Syrian training systems, saying the militants "come home with more abilities that we need, such as high-tech capabilities, knowledge about land mines and rockets, sniping, and fighting tactics like the ones used by Hezbollah [during the Second Lebanon War], when they were able to come out of tunnels from behind the Israelis and attack them successfully."

He further told his interviewers that Hamas was modeling itself on Hezbollah. "We don't have tanks. We don't have planes. We are street fighters and we will use our own ways," he said.


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      1.   It seems they can travel wherever they want 12:42  |  MR 09/03/08
      2.   yes MR and you can hide in your basement in NYC 12:58  |  fida`iyeen 09/03/08
      3.   To#1: There are always ways for few 13:01  |  pal 09/03/08
      4.   Even though Israel has never done anything to harm Iran, 13:40  |  Michael 09/03/08
      5.   Its all part of building a Palestinian "State". 14:00  |  Stephen. 09/03/08
      6.   Oh WOW! Such BIG, BRAVE, FIGHTERS! 14:00  |  Nechama 09/03/08
      7.   the zionist entity get 3 billion in weapons welfare from USA 14:32  |  fida`iyeen 09/03/08
      8.   A CLEAR CAUSE TO FIGHT FOR 15:07  |  indrajaya 09/03/08
      9.   Can any body say...DUH 15:16  |  Doc Holliday 09/03/08
      10.   Hamas and its crazy ideology. 15:33  |  Jean Van Daem 09/03/08
      11.   i am sure the bbc will twist this or pretend it is not known 15:48  |  ralph 09/03/08
      12.   i am sure the bbc will twist this or pretend it is not known 15:48  |  ralph 09/03/08
      13.   trained in iran 15:50  |  Shmuelshachor 09/03/08
      14.   DAYENU 15:50  |  Will 09/03/08
      15.   LIES.HOW COULD THEY GIVE SUCH SENSITIVE INFO TO JEWISH REPORTERS? 15:52  |  JACKAL 09/03/08
      16.   Yeh Gaza is still occupied - right 15:57  |  Wally 09/03/08
      17.   Failure of leadership 15:57  |  Nathaniel 09/03/08
      18.   Bomb the planes or boats carrying the trainees 15:59  |  Conroy 09/03/08
      19.   More reason to bomb Iran and Syria 16:00  |  Level Iran 09/03/08
      20.   pal # 3 syria and iran is using you as their whores 16:01  |  terrornator 09/03/08
      21.   Why doesn`t Israel bomb Iran and Syria a bit? 16:12  |  Questionmark 09/03/08
      22.   looks like the times conducted an interviw with an israeli agent. 16:16  |  Sam 09/03/08
      23.   Balance of Power 16:39  |  Shlomo 09/03/08
      24.   Unilateral concessions.... 16:50  |  Shalom - 09/03/08
      25.   All Hamas members and their supporters are a fair target 16:58  |  Eli 09/03/08
      26.   Hamas and brains don`t combine 17:03  |  ScotGuy 09/03/08
      27.   Another that`s sruprising 17:27  |  Dan 09/03/08
      28.   Great news 18:12  |  ..._ 09/03/08
      29.   High time to cut the terrorism head off. 18:16  |  Fortuna Benmayor 09/03/08
      30.   Brains? Hamas is a cancer, no brains, just death 19:07  |  David 09/03/08
      31.   Cowardly Iran Will Exhaust All Its Proxy Fighters First Before .. 19:33  |  Lavi 09/03/08
      32.   #2 f ida`iyeen - Where are you hiding?? 19:35  |  * BEN JABO 09/03/08
      33.   no problem Indrajaya,if you want we`ll kill everyone of them 19:38  |  yourworstnightmare 09/03/08
      34.   Iran Traning 20:05  |  BRL 09/03/08
      35.   I guess if you steal land... 20:11  |  John 09/03/08
      36.   Terror trainers 20:33  |  Paul 09/03/08
      37.   Big Brave Boys!! 22:07  |  Mick the Brit 09/03/08
      38.   #37 Mick The Brit 14:59  |  * BEN JABO 10/03/08
      39.   a friend of israel 16:59  |  kader 10/03/08
      40.   #21 Israel bomb Iran and Syria a bit????? 17:41  |  ABOOD 10/03/08
      41.   #40 ABOOB 03:02  |  * BEN JABO 11/03/08
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