Counter-Terrorism: Dinged On The Dead Sea

Archives

August 2, 2011: Last month, Israel caught two Palestinians attempting to smuggle ten loaded (with 30 round magazines) AK-47s into the West Bank, by boat, across the Dead Sea from Jordan. Because the Dead Sea water has more than eight times as much salt (and minerals) as sea water, you have to use flat bottomed or inflatable boats. Normal boats ride up so high that they are easily capsized. For that reason, and the fact there are no fish in the Dead Sea, there are few boats to be seen, especially at night. Any that do show up are easily spotted.

The Dead Sea is 63 kilometers long and 11 kilometers at its widest, and easily patrolled. Thus in the last fifteen years, there have been very few weapons smuggling attempts. Two other times (2006, 1998), in this period, Israeli police have caught smugglers trying to bring weapons into the West Bank this way.

Jordan has been very good at preventing weapons from getting into the West Bank, and at keeping known terrorists out as well. Jordan has had problems with Islamic and Palestinian terrorists for decades, and cooperates with Israel police when it comes to counterterrorism issues.

 


Article Archive

Counter-Terrorism: Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 


X

ad
0
20

Help Keep Us Soaring

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month.

Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage. A contribution is not a donation that you can deduct at tax time, but a form of crowdfunding. We store none of your information when you contribute..
Subscribe   Contribute   Close