Note: The translations of articles from the Hebrew press are prepared by the Government Press Office as a service to foreign journalists in Israel. They express the views of the authors.
PIN-POINT STRIKE
(Commentary by Oded Granot, "Ma'ariv", Aug 26, 1998, p.A7)
Al-Amin's status in Amal was far lower than Hizballah's Secretary-General
who was assassinated six years ago.
Husam al-Amin was not the number two in the Amal organization, nor was he
merely a relative of the leader of the group, Nabih Berri. By way of
comparison, it might be said that his place in the hierarchy was far more
humble than that of Hizballah General Secretary Abbas Musawi, killed by a
similar method a little over six years ago.
But Husam was a senior field operative of the organization, and as such
had been involved in many operations against the IDF and South Lebanese
Army in southern Lebanon, including planning attacks and mortar fire on
positions. An accurate picture of his movements, which reached Israeli
intelligence, enabled Israeli helicopters to direct accurate fire at their
target yesterday. An operation of this kind does not violate the
understandings reached after the "Grapes of Wrath" operation, and
therefore does not give Amal justification for firing Katyushas at the
northern Galilee by way of response. The missile fired at Husam al-Amin
yesterday will not stop Shi'ite terrorism against the IDF and SLA in
southern Lebanon. This will continue, and Hizballah will continue to lead
in the number of attacks. Amal will continue to follow after it, although
it has increased its operational activity in recent weeks.
But the advantage of the IDF operation yesterday was the fact that it hit
directly at one of those responsible for the terror in southern Lebanon,
and not at Lebanese civilians. It also returns the initiative to the IDF,
after a long period in which the IDF had been merely responding to
Hizballah and Amal attacks with artillery fire on terrorist targets in
southern Lebanon.