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Sunday, August 28, 2005

Didn't Take Long... Suicide Bombing in Israel

Pathetic. The Palestinians have proved, once again, that there is no hope for peace in regards to them.
A homicide bomber blew himself up next to a bus at a station in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Sunday, wounding at least 10 people, officials said.
Thank God, nobody was killed, but the attack could have easily been far worse:
Witnesses said the bomber was stopped by a security guard before he could board the bus.
The story also brings further proof that profiling is excellent policy. [previously discussed here, here, and here.]
"I was suspicious of him. He had a large backpack and a plastic bag in his hand," a witness who identified himself as a bus driver named Rami told Israel Radio.
"I pointed him out to the guard. He was about 20 meters (yards) from the bus when he blew up. It was a huge explosion, very big," he said, adding that two security guards had approached the bomber just before the explosion.
Having a large backpack and a plastic bag are very common occurences in Israel, where much of the country, including professors and businessmen, carry belongings in backpacks. The bus driver noticed this particular man because of profiling: Arab male, young, carrying backpack/plastic bag, in middle of Be'er Sheva, walking toward bus = Strong possibility of terrorist. In this case, profiling may have saved dozens of lives.

Update: The bomber may have been attempting to blow himself up near Soroka Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals in Israel:
The terrorist was apparently headed for one of Israel's largest hospitals, Soroka Medical Center. A bus driver of the MetroDan company, who said he was the first to notice the terrorist, recounted, "I was parked at the #9 bus stop when the terrorist arrived and asked if I get to the hospital. I told him that the #12 bus gets there. I saw that he had a large and full backpack and a plastic bag in his hand. I suspected him, and told the guard. He kept his eye on him, brought another guard, and then the explosion happened."
The bravery of Israeli security forces continues to astound and impress.
The two guards were seriously wounded, with shrapnel throughout their bodies.

Their sacrifice saved lives. But haven't we already made enough sacrifices to save lives? Land, money, homes, and water wasn't enough?

Must we still pay in bodies?

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