The U.S. air strike against Libya on April 14 was influenced by the success of the Israel Air Force long-range bombing attack last year on Palestine Liberation Organization headquarters in Tunisia, according to Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Amos Lapidot.
In an interview in the Israel Air Force Journal, published Wednesday, Lapidot stressed that terrorism will escalate as long as sovereign nations do not take matters into their own hands and act much more vigorously against terrorist organizations.
“As long as passive action is used against them–security checks, searches of passengers’ luggage at airports–the terrorists are risking very little, the failure of only one operation,” Lapidot said. In his opinion, such measures are not sufficient to deter them.
The Air Force Journal noted that the Israel Air Force has been taking a more active role against terrorism of late. It disclosed for the first time that Cobra attack helicopters were used to silence a terrorist position that had fired on an Israel Defense Force unit trapped in a wadi near Safira village in south Lebanon. As a result, eight terrorists were killed and the IDF men were extricated.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
