Syrian-Hamas nexus in training Terrorists - A valid case to tackle Syria

The Syrian régime allows Palestinian terrorist organizations to train operatives to perpetrate attacks on Israel.

On March 2, 2005, the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) arrested Osama Matar, a Hamas operative from the Gaza Strip, who had undergone military training in a camp near Damascus while studying in Syria. The training was aimed at improving Hamas' capability to launch major attacks, particularly the detonation of explosive-packed tunnels. It was conducted by Hamas instructors at a PFLP/GC[1] base under protection from the Syrian régime. The following is from information revealed by Osama Matar under interrogation by the ISA (Shin Bet).

Information revealed by Osama Matar under interrogation: Osama Khamis Ahmad Matar, 20, single, resident of the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. He was a Hamas operative, involved in operational activity including the laying of anti-tank and armored personnel-carrier explosive side charges.

Osama Matar was recruited by Hamas in 2003 while studying engineering at the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip, where he joined the Islamic Block (Hamas' student wing) in return for tuition. (The pattern of recruiting activists by Hamas from university students belonging to the Islamic Block is well-known.)

He became a Hamas operative. Some months later he was offered the opportunity to continue his studies in Syria on a grant from Hamas. When he arrived in Syria in October 2003 he was contacted by a Hamas activist who helped him with matters related to his studies. He studied agriculture in Syria for a year and a half. In March 2004 he dropped out of school, returned to the Gaza Strip and renewed his activities in Hamas terrorist squads. He also continued his engineering studies at the Islamic University.

During his interrogation he related that in October 2004 Hamas again approached him about continuing his studies in Syria. They wanted to send him there for a month of weapons training so that he could return to Gaza to take part in Hamas operations against Israel.

He accepted the offer. On December 4, 2004 he went to Syria via Egypt, carrying a letter of acceptance from the Agricultural College of the University of Damascus. The Hamas activists who met him in Syria instructed him to move to an apartment in Damascus close to the Agricultural College to reinforce his cover story. He even received "tuition:" 540,000 Syrian pounds (about $10,670) for rent for three months, 3,000 pounds (about $59) for additional expenses connected with the apartment and 3,000 pounds for the manager of the real estate office which rented him the apartment.

While in Damascus for the second time Matar underwent theoretical training in the apartment and practical military training at a Hamas base in Syria. It lasted for five weeks, between January 10 and February 15, 2005. During the first week he was trained in security in his apartment, including general topics such as the rules of undercover behavior, communications and communication security. He also received instructions in constructing electric circuits for detonating explosive devices.

During the second week, when theoretical training ended, he was taken to a camp on the outskirts of Damascus. While there he underwent practical military training conducted by specialists in various fields, including firing light arms and RPGs, the use of time delay fuses and detonating cords, map and compass reading, and detonating devices using TNT and C4.

* From the Channel 2 interview with Ehud Ya'ari.

He was trained with the purpose of eventually improving Hamas capabilities to launch major attacks against Israel, particularly attacks involving the detonation of explosive-packed tunnels. He received special training in the preparation of charges weighing 200 kilograms (440 lbs) to be detonated in tunnels at a distance of 800 meters (a little under half a mile).

"The Tunnels of Hell," a movie produced by Hamas' information department and which appeared in a Hamas forum on the Internet on March 24, 2005. The movie praises and glorifies the explosive-packed tunnels.

Matar related that at the training camp on the outskirts of Damascus he understood from what his instructors said that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad paid Ahmad Jibril's PFLP/GC for the use of their camp to train operatives. While he was there he in fact saw many PFLP/GC activists. He said that sometimes the Syrian intelligence came and searched the camp, leading to a temporary cessation in the exercises and to weapons being hidden. However, he added that it was entirely possible that the Syrians knew the Palestinian organizations were teaching the use of weapons and simply turned a blind eye.

When he had finished his training at the camp, Matar was requested to remain in Damascus until June 2005 to hone his military skills. He refused, claiming that he had been told in Gaza that the training would last only one month and that he wanted to return to the University for the second semester. Before he left Syria he was asked for his email address, and told that the material he had studied, which was supposed to serve him in his future operational activities in Gaza, would be sent to him by means of a Hamas activist after he returned home.

Osama Matar was arrested on March 2 at the Rafah crossing point while attempting to reenter the Gaza Strip.

Story Credits: Internet Haganah