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| Middle East |
| Hamas ready to stop attacks on Israeli civilians |
| 2002-05-18 |
| Hamas is prepared to stop attacks on Israeli civilians if the Jewish state stops targeting Palestinians, the founder of the radical Palestinian movement said in published remarks. That's all Palestinians, everywhere, for whatever reason. Just because they're crazed killers doesn't mean they deserve some kind of punishment. "We were the first to reject killing civilians. We had decided to comply with this policy, but the Israeli troops committed massacres against our people in Jenin and other areas," Sheikh Ahmad Yassin told Al-Jazira newspaper. "This made us retaliate against the Israelis by the same method," said Yassin. Y'see, they made us do it. It's not like we're capable of controlling our own actions or anything. "Our movement is ready to stop military operations against Israeli civilian targets, under the condition that Israel stops targeting Palestinian civilians," he added. Lord knows, there are enough non-civilian Palestinians to target... Oh. All Palestinians are innocent civilians. No Israelis are. Sheikh Yassin insisted that Hamas suicide bombings inside Israel are only a response to the killing of Palestinian civilians at the hands of Israeli troops. He regretted Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's description of the latest Palestinian suicide bombing near Tel Aviv as "terrorist", saying "It is not acceptable from any Palestinian." Yassin was referring to the May 7 bombing in Rishon Letsion which killed 16 people as well as the bomber. It's ummm... something else. "We are not terrorists, nor do we seek bloodshed. We are after freedom for our people and land. We are defending ourselves and fighting is legitimate for us," Yassin said. "I mean, how could anybody be terrorized just because our members explode in crowded rooms without warning?" Yassin's comments came two days after a Palestinian official said Hamas had told Saudi Arabia that it is willing to stop suicide bombings on Israeli territory. However a senior Hamas leader denied the claims. And now Yassin is verifying them. On again, off again, hell, you don't know from one day to the next, do you? And they don't, either. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |