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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Hamas big turbans run for cover
2005-09-29
Hamas said on Wednesday that it was not afraid of Israel's threats to eliminate its top leaders and pointed out that the policy of targeted assassinations would only boost the movement's standing. Despite the defiant statement, sources in the Gaza Strip said most of the Hamas leaders have gone underground for fear of being targeted by Israel.
I'm sure the IDF would love to help them go underground...
Hamas was responding to threats made on Tuesday by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who said that if Hamas did not stop its rocket attacks, Israel would send Mahmoud Zahar and Ismail Haniyeh to the same place as slain Hamas leaders Ahmed Yassin and Abdel Aziz Rantisi. "Mofaz's threats to resume political assassinations and eliminate the Hamas leadership don't scare us," Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri said in Gaza City. "Nor will they stop our process of defending the Palestinian people." Masri noted that many Hamas leaders and activists have already been killed in the confrontation with Israel, "a fact that has never weakened Hamas."
"Yeah! We ain't scared! You want a piece of us? C'mon!"
"I don't think..."
"Shuddup, Zahhar! You Zionists want him, come and get him!"
"But we're not..."
"Button it, Haniyeh! Go ahead! Bump 'em off! See what happens!"
"The threat to kill Zahar and Haniyeh is a very dangerous development, but as Muslims we believe that our lives are in the hands of God," he said. "Both Zahar and Haniyeh have already escaped assassination attempts thanks to God."
"We're outta here! Bump somebody else off!"
According to Masri, experience has shown that assassinations and arrests of Hamas have only served to strengthen the movement and rally more Palestinians behind it. He reaffirmed, however, Hamas's commitment to the unofficial truce with Israel. "Our decision to announce a cease-fire [earlier this week] was not taken out of strength, not weakness," he explained. Hamas has come under heavy criticism from many Palestinians following last Friday's explosion in Jabalya refugee camp that killed 21 people injured more than 120 others. Many Palestinians have rejected Hamas's claim that Israel was behind the explosion, which occurred when a truck loaded with rockets overturned during a rally organized by the movement. "The majority of Palestinians does not believe the Hamas version because the few survivors talked they know the truth," said Omar al-Ghoul, a Palestinian political analyst. He said that growing resentment on the Palestinian street toward Hamas compelled the movement to agree to a cease-fire. "Popular resentment against Hamas has grown following the Israeli military strikes on the Gaza Strip."
Posted by:Fred

#11  Hamas doesn't have "political" leaders. All leaders of Hammas are terrorists. Attacks on Israel are acts of war. Being a "political" leader gives you no special protection. Prepare to die because that is your gods will.
Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom   2005-09-29 21:59  

#10  That's what cockroaches do when the spotlight goes on, run for cover. Time to fumigate.
Posted by: Captain America   2005-09-29 21:38  

#9  "The threat to kill Zahar and Haniyeh is a very dangerous development,.."

Damn right it's dangerous. Keep your shit up, and it'll get even MORE dangerous.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-09-29 19:37  

#8  According to Masri, experience has shown that assassinations and arrests of Hamas have only served to strengthen the movement and rally more Palestinians behind it.

That was when Hamas was in Lebanon. Now that Palistinian houses and infrastructure is getting pounded it's not getting the same response.
Posted by: DoDo   2005-09-29 19:21  

#7  Oh boy! Good "Brave Jihadi Warrior" toughguy talk!
I love that shit!
Posted by: tu3031   2005-09-29 18:18  

#6  cowards and minor-league thugs. They wouldn't last a day in Compton
Posted by: Frank G   2005-09-29 18:00  

#5  "...as Muslims we believe that our lives are in the hands of God..."

But as Hamassholes, your lives are in the crosshairs of the IDF.
Posted by: Hyper   2005-09-29 17:31  

#4  I dunno. I wuz wondering how you say, "islamo-wuss" in Arabic.
Posted by: anymouse   2005-09-29 17:15  

#3  What's "buck-buck-braaawk" in Arabic?
Posted by: Mike   2005-09-29 16:08  

#2  The threat to kill Zahar and Haniyeh is a very dangerous development

I don't think that was a threat.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-09-29 15:48  

#1  Article: According to Masri, experience has shown that assassinations and arrests of Hamas have only served to strengthen the movement and rally more Palestinians behind it.

They must have strengthened Hamas in some moral sense, because operationally, suicide attacks went down to almost nothing after Rantisi and Yassin were killed.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2005-09-29 15:31  

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