Posted on 03/07/2010 9:07:35 AM PST by SJackson
Hard-line to harder-line? Hamas faces a challenge from al-Qaida-inspired militants They preach global jihad, or holy war, adhere to an ultraconservative form of Islam and are becoming a headache even for Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza.
Jihadi Salafis, as they are known, have organized into small, shadowy armed groups that have clashed with Hamas forces and fired rockets at Israel in defiance of Hamas' informal truce.
Perhaps even more worrisome for Hamas, they claim a growing appeal among Gazans in the territory's pressure cooker of isolation and poverty, raising fears they could serve as a bridgehead for their ideological twin, al-Qaida, from which they take their call for global holy war.
Hamas insists it dismantled the groups after a mosque shootout last summer that left 26 dead.
But after months of lying low, Jihadi Salafis become active again. Besides resuming rocket fire on Israel in recent weeks, they blew up the car of a Hamas chief outside his southern Gaza home. The chief, who was not in the car, was unhurt, and the group that claimed responsibility said the blast was a warning.
"We will not stop targeting the figures of this perverted, crooked government (Hamas), breaking their bones and cleansing the pure land of the Gaza Strip of these abominations," said the group, the Soldiers of the Monotheism Brigades. "What will come next will be harder and more horrible."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
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Just a bunch of businessmen, as two administrations have explained.
This is all the fault of the Israeli occupation (of space anywhere in the world).
Hamas faces a challenge from al-Qaida-inspired militants... Jihadi Salafis, as they are known, have organized into small, shadowy armed groups that have clashed with Hamas forces and fired rockets at Israel in defiance of Hamas' informal truce... they could serve as a bridgehead for their ideological twin, al-Qaida... Hamas insists it dismantled the groups after a mosque shootout last summer that left 26 dead... Besides resuming rocket fire on Israel in recent weeks, they blew up the car of a Hamas chief outside his southern Gaza home. The chief... was unhurt... "We will not stop targeting the figures of this perverted, crooked government (Hamas), breaking their bones and cleansing the pure land of the Gaza Strip of these abominations," said the group, the Soldiers of the Monotheism Brigades. "What will come next will be harder and more horrible."We need to be sure that neither side in this new struggle runs out of ammo. Thanks SJackson.
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