Word: commandos
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...these people, these Naxalites, these Maoists? Who do they fight for? And why? And why this offensive by the government, which by many accounts will deploy more than 50,000 specially-trained troops who employ menacing monikers like COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) and Scorpions? Where does the story begin and who are the key players...
...story begins with a right-wing Jewish settler organization called Elad, but also known as the Ir David Foundation, which for the past four years has exerted control over most of the holy city's excavations. Led by David Be'eri, an ex-Israeli commando who used to disguise himself as an Arab for undercover missions in the Palestinian territories, Elad now has the backing of the Israeli Prime Minister's office, the municipality, and the vaunted Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), which monitors all archaeological work in the country and which Elad helps finance. Elad's own funding comes through...
...ceaseless woes. According to Elad's Spielman, Be'eri was doing undercover work for the Israeli military in the mid-1980s in Silwan when a friendly Arab pointed out some ruins buried under a pile of garbage. "We know this is yours, we know this is your archaeology," the commando reported the Arab telling him. (See a video of the Pope visiting the Holy Land...
...attack - with militants using machine guns, grenades, suicide bombs and remote-controlled mines - was consistent with a "pattern of international terrorism" that has emerged in the region in recent years. In November 2008, gunmen believed to be part of the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba unleashed a similar commando-style raid on Mumbai over a three-day period, killing about 170 people. Analysts say the timing of Monday's attack was also key, as it came at a particularly vulnerable moment for Karzai. In an attempt to turn the tide in the fight against the Taliban, he is expected...
...praised the progress that an earlier troop surge has made in securing Helmand province and taking momentum away from the Taliban. U.S. military officials have noted in the past, however, that dramatic attacks will still occur in the country despite the extra troops on the ground. Monday's commando raid seemed to prove the point. For a few hours, insecurity reigned and a bit of the government's hard-won progress slipped away. - With reporting from Shah Barakzai in Kabul...