Meet the 'Terror Tourists'

[coda]

Meet the 'Terror Tourists'

By Tim Tate
Producer and director of Terror Tourists


Lisa Reed is nervous. Wearing only a light T-shirt and combat trousers she is on patrol through the deserted Arab streets of Hebron.


<snip>


Lisa is a part-time dental nurse from Newport News, Virginia. She has never been to Israel or the Palestinian territories before - much less been on an armed patrol of an Arab city under military curfew.


<snip>


Lisa Reed is one of a unique new group of "Terror Tourists". She and four other American men have signed up for Operation Shiloh - an intensive five-day course in counter-terrorism run by Israeli entrepreneurs Yehoshua Mizrachi and Jay Greenwald in association with commandos from the country's Special Forces.


<snip>


From the moment of its launch earlier this year, Operation Shiloh was inundated by applicants: ordinary men and women ready and willing to pay the $5,500 course fees.


Hand-to-hand combat is part of the training (picture)

"I'm your typical average American mum," says Lisa Reed. "I'm not involved with the police, I'm not involved with the military: I'm a Christian who supports Israel but primarily I want to know what I can do to protect myself and my family from a terrorist attack on my neighbourhood."




(Anybody have some advice for Lisa and her husband? Of course it's a little late to warn them about being swindled out of $1,000's of dollars for a useless course put on in the Holy Lands.)


.....


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3295067.stm

[Military Brat]

1. I have some advice: Stop watching Fox News

And stop worshiping a false idol in the Oval Office.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. More advice

Don't wander round someone's town as if you own it, when they're prevented from using the streets by armed force.

This isn't a course on preventing terrorism, it's one on stirring it up.

[Nay]

5. Even more advice.

After looking at the second picture, I'd say these two guys' survival probabilities would be enhanced if they lost 60 pounds and got some exercise.

But that's not as much fun as running around with a big gun!

[Philosophy]

3. Is there a bag limit on Palestinian children?

Or are you only allowed to take adult game?

[xchrom]

4. crude and stupid

i see were exporting some of our more charming qualities.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. I just watched this

The best comment came from the Israeli sodlier they met on patrol in Hebron: "You're crazy".

"Swindle" is a phrase that comes to mind: a light bit of self defence, that you could do in an evening class at home; a talk from a man whose son was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists (not actually useful in telling you how to survive an attack, but I suppose it gets them closer to the Israeli state of mind); walking through Hebron (they were meant to have body armour, but the organisers screwed up), which just increases their fear a bit more; sleeping in the desert, being told to stand guard (1 tourist with night goggles, 1 organiser with a weapon); a confidential briefing from the Israeli army, which couldn't be filmed; pistol shooting practice; a strange demonstration in front of the press where Lisa slides down a cable and pretends to run after terrorists (yeah, there's always a cable and harness handy when you're chasing terrorists, isn't there?); trying to defend a mock demo against paintball terrorists (complete cockup the first time, but it might have gone OK later, but at least the tourist playing the terrorist did his part well); Uzi target practice (what one of the guys had been waiting for, but as he points out, he's not allowed one in the US); a bit of defensive driving; and to finish it off, a surprise mock attack on them, which only the former paratrooper 'survived'.

More of a propaganda exercise, if you ask me; they just wanted the Americans (who are already on the Israelis' side) to feel even more frightened of terrorists (eg calling Hebron '150,000 enemies').

[number6]

7. oh, and ......

"The Palestinian Authority condemns Operation Shiloh - but is powerless to stop it. And Mr Mizrachi and Mr Greenwald have deliberately constructed the course to protect the Terror Tourists from ever meeting a single real-life Palestinian."