Posted on 10/15/2001 3:09:34 PM PDT by CommiesOut
| U.S. says opposes targeted killings by Israel | |
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WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The United States said on
Monday it continued to oppose Israel's "targeted killing" of
Palestinian militants, even while it reviews its own ban on
assassinations.
"We oppose the policy of targeted killings. ... That has not
changed," said State Department spokesman Philip Reeker, a day
after the first such killing by Israel since the Sept. 11 attacks
on New York and Washington.
He was reacting to the shooting of Abdel Rahman Hamad, 35,
a Hamas member whom Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said
dispatched the suicide bomber who killed 21 people at a Tel
Aviv nightclub in June.
A missile fired by an Israeli helicopter killed another
Islamic militant in the West Bank town of Nablus on Monday.
Reeker declined to discuss parallels between Israel killing
Palestinians suspected of organizing bombings and the U.S.
campaign to track down Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, the
prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
U.S. officials have said the United States is reviewing an
executive order banning assassinations, which dates back to
1977. President George W. Bush has said Washington wants bin Laden
"dead or alive."
Another State Department spokesman, questioned on U.S.
policy on targeted killings earlier this month, said the Bush
administration had not yet decided on its own assassinations
ban.
"There may be a similarity (between Israeli killings and
the U.S. hunt for bin Laden) but that doesn't mean the two
situations are comparable or require the same response," added
the spokesman, Richard Boucher.
Reeker welcomed what he called positive steps by the
Palestinian Authority to reduce violence, and by the Israeli
government to withdraw from some Palestinian areas.
"These measures, which are addressing both violence and
terror and the situation on the ground for Palestinians, are
essential to reestablishing trust and confidence between the
parties. We would reiterate that it's vital that both sides
sustain and strengthen their steps in this regard," he said.
The United States wants Israel and the Palestinians to
carry out the recommendations of the Mitchell committee, which
called in April for a cease-fire, a cooling-off period, and
confidence-building measures leading to peace talks.
As the United States bombs Afghanistan in search of bin
Laden, international pressure is building for rapid progress on
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the United States has
been reluctant to make its own peace proposals.
((Jonathan Wright, State Department bureau, +1 202 898 8393,
fax +1 202 659 5254, jonathan.wright@reuters.com))
15 OCT 2001 20:51:47"The best way to deal with enemies of your country," he added, "is through targeted bombings instead, using laser-guided missiles and 5,000-lb. 'smart' bombs."
/sarcasm off/
Perhaps the United States State Department would prefer random killings.
Part of the US government has a problem, in that it would like to get the terrorists but would even more like to get the Jews. Elements in the state department are overdue for some sharp light.
No one has considered the possiblity that this guy was overcome with remorse over his evil deeds and committed suicide.
Happens all the time. I mean, just look how many people were overcome with remorse at their association with Billy Boy...
Er, uh, ok!
PS - the Palestinians don't have nukes - but Israel does.
If we recall after the first few days of the bombing the media was told it would begin to wane. It did not. Ever since, and much to the consternation of Peter Jennings, CNN and the rest of the media, these pinheads have been fed a steady diet of inconsistent short-term AND long term goals and plans to keep them AND the enemy off balance.
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