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Middle East
New Palestinian government embarrassed by Gaza Atrocity
2003-05-02
The bloody Israeli incursion into eastern Gaza Thursday, in which at least nine Palestinian civilians, including two small children were killed, has apparently embarrassed the new Palestinian government of Mahmoud Abbas. A high-ranking official in the Information Ministry intimated that Israeli crimes will make it difficult for the government to carry out its tasks. “There is no doubt that these actions of wanton killings will make it extremely hard for the government to function,” said the official who asked for anonymity. The official said “how will Abu Mazen now ask the resistance groups to give up their weapons when Israeli soldiers are slaughtering Palestinian children and women in Gaza?”

Asked if the new government is embarrassed by Shujaiya atrocity, the official said after a short pause “the government is embarrassed but powerless.” Further asked if Thursday’s killings would weaken the government’s standing and image in the eyes of the Palestinian public, the official said “there is no doubt about it, a government that can’t protect its people will not gain much respect.”

The government, which was sworn-on Wednesday, has vowed to disarm Palestinian resistance groups fighting Israeli occupation forces. However, resistance leaders, including Fatah’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, have vehemently opposed unilateral disarmament “as long as Israeli soldiers continued to occupy our country and murder our people.” The latest Israeli atrocity in Gaza is expected to strengthen the opposition stance vis-à-vis the Palestinian Authority.
Of course, that was the whole idea, wasn't it? As soon as the new government's approved, Boom! The IDF will, of course, react. The PA can, of course, do nothing about it. Everybody knew that before the latest booming, of course. But what this one does is line the Yasser boyz up with the Hamas/Jihad boyz, in opposition to the "legitimate" Abbas boyz. Despite its 23 separate "security agencies," I'm not aware of any of them that are clean, i.e., not involved in terrorism. Abbas doesn't even have a tool to fight back against them yet.
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#2  The word "atrocity" comes from the original headline, on the Hamas website.
Posted by: Fred   2003-05-02 21:17:40  

#1  To keep the record straight:
The purpose of the incursion was to arrest the terrorists who were making and operating the Kassam rockets. The perps were hiding among civilians. When IDF arrived it was confronted by tens of Hamas fighters. In the final score of 12 dead there were at least 7 armed men.
One might call this an attrocity, but basically there is a minimal chance for an orderly arrest of terrorists under these circumstances. And I see no reason why should Israel agree to have her towns bombarded by palestinian rockets.
Posted by: marek   2003-05-02 21:03:55  

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