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Last Updated: Sep 29th, 2006 - 17:08:25 |
Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz are delaying a request from Central Command to set up a permanent army base at the old British police station in Sa-Nur. The purpose of the base would be to facilitate IDF movements against terror in the north and in Samaria.
The reason for their opposition, critics of the unilateral withdrawal suggest, might be that the establishment of the base would prove the lack of logic in the government’s uprooting of four Jewish communities in northern Samaria, including Sa-Nur, last summer.
A month ago, Central Command officers visited Sa-Nur to assess the possibilities of opening a base there. Since the withdrawal from northern Samaria, the IDF has not had a permanent base in the area. The Dotan army base has also been dismantled, and its staff relocated to the Ein Shemer camp. Following complaints that the soldiers need a base in the area, the option of Sa-Nur was considered.
The old police station in Sa-Nur is the only building still standing, and it was totally stripped by the Arabs after the disengagement. Even the windows and doorframes were removed. Although Central Command is prepared to renovate the building for use as a base, these plans have been delayed by Peretz and Halutz. Some Analysts suggest the delay is due to the possibility of raising the question of why such communities were destroyed if the army needs to establish regular bases in these areas. The defense minister is due to discuss the issue in the next few days.
Since last year’s disengagement, the status of northern Samaria has not changed, and the army continues to operate in the area.
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