A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Did Israel Stage Air Strike in Sudan?

Was Israel behind an air strike near the Sudanese city of Port Sudan on Tuesday? The attack destroyed a vehicle and killed two men; according to Al Arabiya one of the men was an Islamist figure believed to be engaged in arms smuggling to Hamas in Gaza.

Sudan has accused Israel, and the Israelis are of course refusing to confirm it was their strike, but not denying it either. The Sudanese reportedly prohibited reporters from visiting the site.

Israel is known to believe that Sudan is looking the other way as Hamas smuggles arms to Gaza; the arms, possibly originating in Iran, are landed on the Red Sea coast to avoid their passing through the Suez Canal.

Back in early 2009 Sudan claimed that mysterious aircraft had attacked a convoy of vehicles in the Red Sea region. Though not confirming that attack either, then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel would strike at the infrastructure of terror wherever it could.

http://mideasti.blogspot.com/2009/03/sudan-convoy-strike-story.html

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