This week, BBC Television broadcast the
first segment of "The Dirty War: Israel Undercover." BBC's own schedule describes the two-part documentary as "examining the military tactics, intelligence-gathering methods and the thinking of the Israelis and the Palestinians in the conflict in the Middle East."

HonestReporting members who saw the broadcast report that BBC cameramen and reporters spent the night with an Israeli infantry patrol trying to intercept terrorists attempting to attack a Jewish community. They also accompanied Israeli helicopter pilots and commandos targeting known Palestinian terrorists.

Israeli officers explained the intelligence-gathering and meticulous care behind every such attack. According to Israeli officers interviewed, an attack is authorized only if there is no way of capturing the terrorist alive. The attack must be carried out with precision to avoid hitting innocent bystanders. The commander of the Israeli Air Force explained that helicopter-fired missiles are the most accurate means for the mission. The explosive charge on the missile is also small and less likely to cause "collateral damage."