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| Israel-Palestine |
| Hamas vows to use Gaza to destroy Israel |
| 2005-09-14 |
Ground commanders, with bushy black beards and pistols strapped to their sides, rode defiantly in a convoy of 50 jeeps and SUVs to cheers of Allah Akbar from a rapt crowd. Many officers remained unmasked, in testimony to their soaring confidence after Israel ended its 38-year occupation of the Gaza Strip on Monday. Commanders from Hamas's Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades armed wing spoke triumphantly of their post-Israeli withdrawal war strategy from the Gaza Strip. They sketched out a vision of tunnels into Israel, regular rocket attacks on the Jewish state; a free flow of weapons and militants from Egypt; and constant smuggling to the West Bank. They spoke of their determination to turn the strip of Mediterranean coast, home to 1.3 million people, into an armed camp intent on the destruction of the Jewish state with a Palestinian Authority powerless to stop them. The movement, which Israel estimates counts 1,000 armed But observers caution that Hamas will not take any dramatic steps in the short term and believe the movement's main weapon from Gaza are its homemade Qassam rockets. "If there are any Israeli attacks on Gaza, or Israel undertakes dramatic actions against Palestinians in the West Bank ... they may fire their weapons, but I don't think they'll rush into anything," said Ziad Abu Amr, a Palestinian MP who has written books on Gaza's Islamist movements. Speaking perfect English, an Al-Qassam officer bragged that the group was banking on smuggling more and better quality arms from Egypt now that Israeli troops had handed security on the southern border to Egyptian guards. Abu Muad painted Gaza as a giant weapons laboratory, where militants will perfect their rockets, such as their trademark Qassams. He also warned that Hamas will take up arms against Mahmud Abbas's government if the Palestinian Authority tries to stop them. "If we are forced to, we will do it." Abu Hamza, a refugee camp commander, said Hamas would infiltrate Israel from Gaza despite the security fence and high-tech surveillance. "We will have tunnels into Israel. We can smuggle into the West Bank by many means. In the name of Israel's deputy defence minister, Zeev Boim, warned Monday that Israel would treat any future rocket or mortar attack from Gaza as tantamount to an act of aggression of one state against another. "If Israeli towns are subject to rocket attacks we will respond towards the source of fire by artillery fire," the junior minister told public radio. Since Israel is going to be called a genocidal racist state anyway, why not do the deed to match the accusation? |
| Posted by:Jackal |
| #15 #6 Many officers remained unmasked, in testimony to their soaring confidence... Might be regretting that move somewhere down the road.. Roger that, tu: grist for the mill. |
| Posted by: Cromorong Ulock6575 2005-09-14 21:37 |
| #14 I've been hearing lately about smart bullets. They can pick one person as a target out of a crowd and follow him if he moves even when fired from a great distance. If anyone has them you can bet the Israelis do. These Hamas hard boyz have no idea. The hiding in crowds of children trick could be about to be played out. Life in Gaza is likely to remain nasty, brutish and short, only more so. |
| Posted by: Baba Tutu 2005-09-14 21:04 |
| #13 arabs kill arabs with impunity. They worry even less about killing Paleos. Look for Hosni to take an active approach to keeping the roach motel doors closed |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-09-14 20:41 |
| #12 No mac, let the Egyptians and Jordanians do it. They really don't give a damn about the Paleos. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-09-14 20:25 |
| #11 I'd like to see the Israelis deport or exterminate every Paleo in both Gaza and the West Bank. There will never be any sort of peace until they do. |
| Posted by: mac 2005-09-14 18:55 |
| #10 Egypt and Jordan both have shown no restraint in dealing with Paleo troublemakers on their soil : Black September was named after the September, 1970 punative raids into Paleo camps in Jordan by the Jordanian Army. The sitting Jordanian King felt the Paleos were posing a threat to the Kingdom, and killed a whole lot of them as a warning. Plus the Egyptians have all of that Camp David Agreement aid money riding on the outcome of the Gaza handover. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2005-09-14 17:11 |
| #9 Go on punks, make Israel's day! |
| Posted by: SwissTex 2005-09-14 16:24 |
| #8 Seems to me this would be a war between two states. And Israel can legitimately bomb the hell out of them if they attack. |
| Posted by: PlanetDan 2005-09-14 15:35 |
| #7 A perfect example of why Israel can't negotiate with the PA. The PA can't/will not attempt to control Hamas. Hamas still declares the destruction of Israel as their goal. It's pretty apparent that Hamas controls Gaza. I have a feeling Egypt doesn't want any trouble with Israel and will use force on the Paleos to make sure there is none. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-09-14 15:03 |
| #6 Many officers remained unmasked, in testimony to their soaring confidence... Might be regretting that move somewhere down the road... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-09-14 14:59 |
| #5 Officers from Hamas's militia are vowing to turn Gaza into a huge armed camp devoted to digging Israel's grave, with tunnels, rocket attacks and a free flow of weapons and militants from Egypt. No you won't. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-09-14 14:35 |
| #4 Abu Hamza, a refugee camp commander Does he get a ninja throwing star medal with that rank? |
| Posted by: Secret Master 2005-09-14 14:19 |
| #3 Abu Hamza, a refugee camp commander, I thought he was locked up......... |
| Posted by: shistos shistadogaloo 2005-09-14 13:42 |
| #2 Now that the Israelies got out their own, they can make the entire strip a free-fire zone for atillery and air attack! |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-09-14 13:09 |
| #1 I wonder how long it will take the Gypos to realize they got a major stinker of a deal with Gaza, and either build an Israeli-type wall, or, more traditionally, go in there with a punitive expedition and slaughter Paleos like there is no tomorrow. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-09-14 12:48 |