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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas Captures Fatah Security HQ in Gaza |
| 2007-06-12 |
| Quagmire! By DIAA HADID GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Hamas gunmen captured the headquarters of the Fatah-allied security forces in northern Gaza, seizing control of a key prize in the bloody power struggle between the sides, Hamas and Fatah officials said. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah said Tuesday's fighting amounted to a coup attempt by the Islamic militants. Hamas attacked the compound with mortars and automatic gunfire, and after several hours of battle, seized control, said Hamas commander Wael al-Shakra. A Fatah security official confirmed the building had been lost. He said at least 10 people were killed and 30 wounded. Security commanders loyal to Abbas complained they were not given clear orders to fight back at a time when Hamas appeared to be moving forward according to a plan. Abbas' Fatah movement was to meet later in the day to decide whether to pull out of his shaky coalition with Hamas. Calls by Abbas and exasperated Egyptian mediators for a cease-fire went unheeded. Instead, Hamas and Fatah militants threatened to kill each other's leaders. In Gaza, a rocket-propelled grenade damaged the home of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas but caused no injuries in what Hamas said was an attempted assassination. In the West Bank, Fatah gunmen kidnapped a deputy Cabinet minister from Hamas. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #15 Yes |
| Posted by: badanov 2007-06-12 22:23 |
| #14 "Security commanders loyal to Abbas complained they were not given clear orders to fight back at a time when Hamas appeared to be moving forward according to a plan Efficient Chain-of-Command. I hope the IDF is taking notes. |
| Posted by: Poison Reverse 2007-06-12 20:41 |
| #13 well, obviously, this is just a speedbump in the Roadmap to Peace™. Consolidation of power allows a single negotiator... until they split the political/military/killing Joooos wings off for deniability |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-06-12 20:09 |
| #12 Actually, I would recommend a couple of thermobaric bombs with time-delay fuses be dropped into the building by the IAF. Guaranteed kills, and you can drop the building as well. Of course, if the building does not drop, the internal and structural damage will render it useless as a government building. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2007-06-12 19:02 |
| #11 I just pray the in-fighting won't spill over and all hell brake loose. There will be blood chest high in the valley of Armigadden. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2007-06-12 18:59 |
| #10 The good news is that Fatah will have a target-rich environment. The bad news is that it's their own headquarters. now they have strong motivation to re-take their regional headquarters Ah yes, that cloudy lining of the silver bullet ... erm, well something like that. Let's try to calculate how many Hamas terrorists will need to remain in place to repel attempts by Fatah to retake their headquarters. Now multiply that by the number of external Hamas needed to maintain patrols and pertimeter security. This is going to leave a whole buncha Hamas anchored to the Fatah HQ. Mebbe Israel should lob in a few Hellfires to warm things up for them. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-06-12 18:36 |
| #9 Fatah ain't a nary bit different than Hamas, just older, fatter and even more corrupt. Of course, Shipman dear. The idea was to keep the sides evenly balanced so they'd be unable to turn their energies |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-06-12 18:21 |
| #8 Is this because of or in additiob to the cease fire version 3.95? |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2007-06-12 17:38 |
| #7 I'm buying popcorn futures. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-06-12 17:15 |
| #6 Em, Fatah ain't a nary bit different than Hamas, just older, fatter and even more corrupt. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-06-12 16:22 |
| #5 Maybe it's just me, but I suppose this can't be good for the "unity government™"... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-06-12 16:19 |
| #4 Crap. We've been arming Fatah recently; more particularly Abbas' security forces. This development is not good news. Hamas-Fatah in bloody deadlock is popcorn news, resurgent Hamas with control of all the US supplied arms-n-ammo is very bad news. The question becomes where will the weapons go...to Lebanon, Iraq, Jerusalem? |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2007-06-12 16:19 |
| #3 Good heavens shameless popcorn Baronness is come to make light of our struggle! I demand invetigator! That popcorn deal was not properly skruternized. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-06-12 16:11 |
| #2 YeeeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaw! Go, go Hamas! Go, go, Fatah! Go, go, Isamik jihad! Go, go, 18 young pali psychos in the clubhouse wit new AKz. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-06-12 16:09 |
| #1 Jeebus - I'm going to have to negotiate a discount on all that popcorn I'll need to supply us as we |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-06-12 16:07 |