Getting Ready For War

With the peace process stalled, Yasser Arafat has developed a plan to battle the Israeli army

Palestinian security officials had a plan. Contemplating a new confrontation with the Israeli military, they took an inventory of all the tractors and bulldozers in the West Bank. Then they devised a system for appropriating the machinery to dig ditches and build other obstacles to slow an Israeli advance. But how to test the scheme? In mid-January an opportunity was literally heaven-sent. When a rare blizzard blanketed the West Bank with snow, Palestinian authorities quickly seized the earthmovers under the pretense of clearing the roads. In fact, the action was a drill for war.

The visit to the region this week...

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