One reason for the US support for the Israeli operation in Jenin is revealed in an article in the 6 May 2002 issue of the Washington Post: the Israelis helped to check out in a real battlefield the theories developed in US virtual war games.
Accordingly, there is a high probability that US military experts were present on site at the Jenin battle. This would explain also the US support for the Israeli objection to a UN investigation.
The Israeli internet news service DEBKAfile reported several weeks ago about the presence of US special forces in the West Bank and said that they were working together with the Israelis. Some of these US soldiers were even shown briefly on CNN and other TV stations during an operation to free Italian journalists in Bethlehem.
According to DEBKAfile, one aim of the US-Israeli "joint venture" was to gather important experience in fighting Muslim extremists in a densely-populated area like Jenin in order to apply it later in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The US forces have till now refrained from entering the town for fear of heavy US casualties. After the experiences in Jenin and Nablus, valuable information was gathered about the techniques used by Muslim extremists and effective methods which can be developed to neutralize explosive devices and booby traps.
It is, of course, possible that the US forces want to obtain more data, which is why the Israelis Occupation Forces have been given the green light for an additional operation in Gaza.
* Shraga Elam is an Israeli investigative journalist based in Zurich and author of a highly-praised book in German on the collaboration of the Zionist leadership with the Nazis. The book, Hitlers Faelscher: wie juedische amerikanische und Schweizer Agenten der SS beim Falschgeldwaschen halfen [Hitler's Forgers: How Jewish, American and Swiss agents helped the SS with laundering faked money], is published by Uberreuter Verlag and can be purchased here.