TEL AVIV — The Hamas regime has established a unit comprised of would-be suicide bombers.

Israel's military said the suicide unit was established in late 2007 in the Gaza Strip, Middle East Newsline reported. The military said the unit contained scores of Palestinians trained to blow up Israeli soldiers stationed along the border with the Gaza Strip.

In September 2007, the military said, Hamas held a training course for more than 40 suicide cadets. The Palestinians were said to have been instructed in the use of explosive belts and disguise.

One member of the Hamas unit was identified as Mohammed Kassem, 18, captured on Feb. 25 in the Gaza Strip. The military said Kassam, a resident of the northern Gaza town of Bet Lahiya, had been trained to conduct a suicide mission.

"In September 2007, Kassem was recruited for the Hamas suicide bombers unit and participated in a training course along with 40 additional Hamas terror operatives," the military said on April 1. "As a part of his training, Kassem was supposed to receive an explosive belt weighing 20 kilograms intended for a suicide bombing attack. Kassem was arrested before he received the belt."

The Hamas suicide unit was said to have been trained to use Palestinian civilians as a shield. The military said Kassem and other Hamas operatives posed as protesters in a Hamas-sponsored demonstration against the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip near the Erez border terminal.

"The attackers disguised themselves as protesters during a demonstration against the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, organized by the Hamas terrorist organization near the Erez crossing," the military said.

The suicide unit was also trained to stop Israeli main battle tanks from advancing in the Gaza Strip. Military sources said the unit was instructed to plant improvised explosive devices, conduct reconnaissance and open fire on Israeli soldiers along the Gaza border.

In the last stage of operations, the suicide fighters were meant to blow themselves up near Israeli patrols and positions. The sources said Kassam had prepared an IED that weighed 25 kilograms and meant for an Israeli military target.

"Due to technical difficulties the explosive device did not go off," the military said.

To see these two men honored by President Bush with the Presidential Medal of Freedom was shocking. They both deserved major reprimands and removal from their posts, rather than medals. Their effrontery has no bounds evidenced when each produced a book seeking to absolve themselves of blame. Both have since been hooted off the stage by the reading public.

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