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Israel-Palestine-Jordan | ||||
Sharp increase in Paleo-on-Paleo violence | ||||
2005-10-07 | ||||
Make Mine with extra butter. The number of Palestinians slain in vigilante killings and other internal violence has nearly quadrupled in four years, from 43 in 2002 to 151 so far in 2005, according to statistics presented Thursday, and one top security official said more Palestinians were killed in internal violence this year than by Israeli troops. Does this mean we have to start sending pizzas to the Paleos?
In the most recent incident, a Gaza taxi driver was killed Sunday by gunmen affiliated with Abbas' ruling Fatah movement. At the time, a group of drivers was blocking a junction in southern Gaza to protest rising fuel prices. The gunmen demanded the junction be cleared, then opened fire, killing 30-year-old Yasser Barakeh. Abbas promised Barakeh's family he would track down the killers, but no arrests have been made. Late Thursday, armed men kidnapped a Palestinian professor known as a Hamas political leader from his West Bank home, his wife said. Palestinians said it was part of an internal conflict. The Israeli military said it had no part in the abduction of the professor, Riad al-Raz, 47, head of the engineering department at A-Najah University in Nablus.
Abbas, meanwhile, has shied away from confronting the armed groups for fear of civil war. However, his attempt to get armed men off the streets with promises of jobs and political participation has had only limited success. Abbas' security chief, Interior Minister Nasser Yousef, argues he can't fight crime without a political decision to confront the armed groups. "When Hamas keeps its military wing, then Fatah will say, we have the right to do the same," said Yousef's spokesman, Tawfiq Abu Khoussa, referring to unauthorized armed gangs linked to the ruling party. "That's what makes it so difficult for the interior minister to fight chaos and implement the law."
Someone you can trust; they're "independent." The growing chaos is quickly turning into Abbas' biggest political headache - even more than the threat from Hamas which is poised to do well in January parliament elections. This week, angry legislators gave Abbas two weeks to present a new Cabinet and focus on battling crime, even ahead of negotiations with Israel. " And Maxwell Smart just died. ... said Palestinian analyst Hani al-Masri. "If the Palestinian Authority doesn't take hard steps to protect us from chaos, it will collapse." Majed Arouri, a researcher for the group, said 151 Palestinians have been slain in internal violence or as a result of reckless behavior by militants in 2005 so far. For example, the Palestinian-on-Palestinian death toll rose sharply in September when 22 Palestinians were killed when rockets exploded inadvertently at a Hamas military parade. By comparison, 140 Palestinians were killed by Israel Defense Forces troops during the same period, Arouri said. According to an Associated Press count, the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire stands at 127 in 2005 so far, while the Palestinian Health Ministry said the total number was closer to 200. AP does not keep a count of Palestinians killed in internal violence. "We're Journalism majors; we can't count that high."
I like that trend. Better that Paleos die than, well, just about anyone else. | ||||
Posted by:Jackal |
#6 All right, here is the question no one wants to ask: Is civil war always a bad thing? I mean, people killing people is bad, and that happens in civil war, but what if those wars make lessons that should have been learned long ago finally sink in? Like the idea that homicide bombers do not leave a legacy of glorious martyrdom-they leave a legacy of grief-absorbed orphans, destitute women and stalled economies? Like the idea that starting a new leaf for your children is more valuable than avenging a humiliation? Like the idea that two states who have lived at war with each other for centuries are finally willing to accept each other's existence? I'm curious-does anyone know what the Koran says about mercy, or the principle of live and let live? Or are those exclusively western notions? |
Posted by: jules 2 2005-10-07 23:23 |
#5 "Abbas' security chief, Interior Minister Nasser Yousef, argues he can't fight crime without a political decision to confront the armed groups.' Not having a spine also makes it difficult Thats exactly what Yousef is saying. |
Posted by: liberalhawk 2005-10-07 16:24 |
#4 They do so deserve themselves. Institutional mass mental disease accepted as the norm has it's drawbacks it seems. Create a culture of sociopathic killers and the everyman light weapon carrying thug and life gets a little messy and chaotic. |
Posted by: MunkarKat 2005-10-07 09:41 |
#3 The descent into lawlessness... Yeah, it really sucks when you're "descending into lawlessness". Thank God they've had a lotta practice so they're good at it... |
Posted by: tu3031 2005-10-07 08:46 |
#2 Wait, there've been claims of Palestinian culture and artistic traditions? The heck're those supposed supposed to be??? Oh, here 's something VERY interesting, sorry for the essential repost: a couple of days ago about 40 PA policemen stormed the PA parliament, firing in the air to protest the humiliation the police are facing because of attacks by Hamas militants, a day after a fierce clash between the cops and Hamas in Gaza and nearby Shati refugee camp when Hamas gunmen attacked the local police station with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, killing the camp's deputy police chief. They were begging for bullets to protect the citizens and themselves. Reuters, apparently, quoted one of the black-clad policemen as stating, "We want the PA to take a stand on Hamas. Our blood is flowing for the Authority and they are not doing anything." The police-Hamas confrontation was triggered when executed Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi's son was being arrested following a fight that broke out in a line-up at a cash machine outside of a Gaza City bank. |
Posted by: Edward Yee 2005-10-07 04:10 |
#1 Well no surprise. After all, barbaric murder IS the basic hallmark of Paleo-ism. They don't have any distinctive language, culture, or artistic traditions.... |
Posted by: Sheik Abu Bin Ali Al-Yahood 2005-10-07 03:52 |