You have commented 338 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Middle East
Hamas Rejects American-led Arab Intelligence Team
2002-07-19
The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has rejected a decision by the four-member international committee to send an Arab intelligence team under American leadership to assist the Palestinian Authority in reforming its security system.
"No, thank you. We prefer it ineffective and corrupt..."
Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, one of the Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip,
He's one of the five-man Hamas politburo...
said that the notorious Arab intelligence system had worked against Arabs more than foreign enemies. He added that the CIA was another well-known corrupt apparatus that was involved in coups, arms smuggling, drug trafficking and other illegitimate practices.
Unlike Hamas, which makes a whistle look dirty...
He affirmed, "We will never accept the arrival of such a cocktail to reform our security apparatuses ... it will rather increase their corruption". He explained that such reform would target protecting security of the Zionist enemy, which was absolutely rejected. The Zionist entity with its various apparatuses had failed to halt resistance "and we do not wish that the Arab countries would come to serve as a guards of the Zionist entity". Zahhar pointed out that the step would put the Arab regimes in confrontation with their peoples that would ask for whose interest was that work done. "The Arab intelligence team, with American leadership, would add dangers and new burdens on Palestinian resistance but I believe that the Palestinian resistance fighter enjoys enough experience and competency that would enable him abort any American attempt to restrict his right of self-defense", the Hamas official underlined.
"Yeah. We don't want no daggone security guys gettin' in the way of our important business..."
The "Quartet" had decided in a recent meeting in New York to send an Arab intelligence team grouping Egyptian, Jordanian and Saudi experts under American leadership to help the Palestinians reform their security system.
Can it be? Can it be that Hamas is going to take them on head-on? It looks like the Egyptian intel story might have some substance to it.

The thing that really puzzles me about IDF counter-terror operations is why they don't go after the Hamas politburo — too politically sensitive? But if the Egyptians take them out it's not? Still trying to figger...
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#1  Fred,

Alternatively, my theory about that story could be right... and Hamas is now scared to death that there's actually something to it. Which neatly balks a key U.S. demand, and hurts the Palestinian cause internationally by making it even clearer that they're refusing to clean house. Mossad 1, Palestinians 0.

As for why the IDF doesn't assassinate the Hamas politburo... sorry, Fred, I'm as puzzled as you are. Maybe it's time to cook up another meme that says they're all still alive because one has been compromised via Egyptian intelligence, and the Israelis don't want to give any clues re: which one.
Posted by: Joe   2002-07-19 10:42:06  

00:00