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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas and al-Qaeda? |
| 2006-05-03 |
| Is there a danger that Hamas and al-Qaida could be linked? Warnings to such an effect could be heard last week, after the release of an Osama bin Laden tape expressing support for Hamas, which, he said, was defending itself against the "Zionist-Crusader offensive." Even C. David Welch, the U.S. assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, discussed such a danger. Hamas is very angry at these reports, and views them as attempts to muddy the organization's name, as part of the repeated efforts to topple the democratically elected government of Ismail Haniyeh. The economic blockade of the Hamas government has yet to produce results. It is not at all clear whether such a siege has a chance, since it is difficult to draw a dividing line between the Hamas government and the services the government provides the residents. In the Gaza Strip, for instance, there are now reports of a serious shortage in medications. This punishes the patients, not the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. It appears that the Palestinian public understands this, and this is why there have not been outbreaks of protests against the government, even though it has still not paid last month's salaries. Last week, Fatah initiated protests against Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, after he criticized Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), but participation was relatively low. The counter-protests organized by Hamas to support the government were more successful. Hamas activists think their rivals from Fatah are now trying to spark riots in Gaza, and get the armed militias to run wild, in an effort to show that Hamas is unable to provide security to its residents. A few days ago, the members of one militia attacked the Health Ministry in Gaza after the health minister from Hamas refused to give a relative of the gang members permission to receive medical treatment in Egypt. Police officers arrived on the scene and exchanged fire with the gang members, who withdrew without getting their demand met. Hamas spokesmen said this was the first time in years in which an armed gang in Gaza had not managed to get what it wanted through violence. Hamas is complaining that the campaign against the organization includes the spreading of lies, citing the report Jordan released about capturing a Hamas cell that had smuggled weapons and explosives. Citing the capture of the cell, the Jordanian government canceled a visit to Amman by Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas. "We have never carried out any activity outside the borders of Palestine," a Hamas activist in Jerusalem said in a reference to terror attacks. "So why would we carry it out now, and while our foreign minister was visiting Jordan? It's total insanity." Another recently published report that Hamas says is a lie concerns the discovery of a tunnel near Abu Mazen' office in Gaza. According to the report, this may not have been intended as a means to attack the chairman himself, but was planned as a way to assassinate Mohammed Dahlan, the Fatah strongman in Gaza who passes the area in his car every day. Hamas officials have said they think a fair amount of the activity against them stems from the Fatah elite. Tayyib Abd al-Rahim, the former director general of the Palestinian Authority in the days when Yasser Arafat headed it, as well as former Palestinian minister Nabil Amro and others who are close to Abu Mazen, know that it is virtually impossible to topple the Hamas government completely, as it commands a strong position in Palestinian society. Instead, they are seeking ways to make the government fail, so as to set up in its place a national emergency government. Hamas officials say this is also why the rumors of the ties with al-Qaida have been going around. Hamas completely denies these rumors, saying that Hamas' goal is national - a struggle against Israel - while al-Qaida has all-embracing religious goals. But if Hamas is pushed into a corner and the distress and anarchy in the West Bank and Gaza intensify, a comfortable backdrop for al-Qaida activity in Palestine could develop - and then, the assertion that Hamas is tied to al-Qaida will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #4 as a way to assassinate Mohammed Dahlan, the Fatah strongman in Gaza who passes the area in his car every day. Hmmm. Talk about all hell breaking loose. Orville Redenbacher doesnt have all the popcorn wed need. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2006-05-03 15:20 |
| #3 1. as a reminder, theyre ideologically different. AQ is qutbist, Hamas is old line Ikwani/Muslim Brotherhood. Not that that would make cooperation impossible, not at all, but Pal IJ is the more likely partner for AQ 2. The real problems are strategic. Hamas looks to Syria for support, to Saudi for money, and wants to be able to at least talk to the Egyptians. If they deal with AQ, and it comes out, they A. Become enemies of Egypt B. Become enemies if not of all the Saudis, at least of King Abdullah C. Probably imperil their relationship with Syria, though that may be debatable. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2006-05-03 15:18 |
| #2 Boo. These things are franchises---regional, doncha know? |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-05-03 14:28 |
| #1 Funny how most articles that have a question mark in the headline usually endup with the money shot statement like this one. "But if...and the...and...could develop...and then... will become." |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2006-05-03 12:15 |