Abbas condemns strike on Rantisi as 'terrorist attack'

Ha'aretz ^ | Tuesday, June 10, 2003 Sivan 10, 5763 | Haaretz Service and Agencies

[Phil V.]

w w w . h a a r e t z d a i l y . c o m

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_{Last update - 16:06 10/06/2003}

Abbas condemns strike on Rantisi as 'terrorist attack'

_{By Haaretz Service and Agencies}

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas condemned Tuesday morning's Gaza City missile strike against Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi as a "terrorist attack," and Rantisi called for continuing the "holy war" until there are no more "criminal Zionists" left in Israel.

Rantisi was lightly wounded when an IDF helicopter gunship fired at least six missiles on the car that held Rantisi, killing at least two people and wounded 25 others, including Rantisi's son Ahmed.

"We will continue with our holy war and resistance until every last criminal Zionist is evicted from this land," Rantisi told the Arab TV satellite station Al Jazeera
from his hospital bed.

Abbas said the Israeli operation - which Israel confirmed several hours after the attack was an assassination attempt - was intended to sabotage peace moves.

"Palestinian Pime Minister Mahmoud Abbas condemned the
criminal and terrorist Israeli attack today," Abbas's office said in a statement issued in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "Such attacks obstruct and sabotage the political process."

Rantisi, one of the best-known Hamas spokesmen, is the highest-ranking Palestinian militant to be targeted in an Israeli assassination attempt.

Hamas said that the attack was an Israeli "declaration of war," and that all cease-fire talks with the Palestinian Authority are off, Army Radio reported.

"Israel should expect that this crime...will not pass without severe punishment," senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told al-Jazeera satellite television after Rantissi was wounded.

An Israeli official said the government will keep fighting terror. "Israel hasn`t changed its policy," the official told Israel Radio. "It will continue to struggle against terrorism, because the PA does not."

The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack, which PA official Nabil Amr called an intentional derailing of the Aqaba process.

"This attack is directed against the efforts of the Palestinian government to start Palestinian dialogue with Hamas and other factions in order to have a Palestinian unanimous position concerning the cease-fire and the truce," said PA spokesman Yasser Abed Rabbo.

The Arab League echoed Abed Rabbo's condemnation. "Israel is trying to foil any move towards achieving peace," said Arab league head Amr Moussa. "This attack is not only a violation of the road map but a threat to the peace process," he told reporters in Bahrain. "Continued Israeli attacks will lead to retaliation in kind."

A United States official told Army Radio that the assassination attempt makes it difficult to move forward on the road map and that although Washington accepts Israel's right to defend itself, Israel must consider the results of its actions.

Soon after the attack, news footage showed the charred hulk of Rantisi's jeep spewing flames and black smoke. A number of people were shown hoisting an apparently badly injured man into an ambulance. Witnesses said the helicopters fired as many as seven missiles at the car and at a building where Rantisi lives.

The hardline Rantisi has repeatedly rejected appeals by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas for an end to armed attacks in the context of the Palestinian uprising. On Monday, Rantisi, 58, a dentist by profession, reiterated his opposition to a cease-fire, saying that attacks would be confined to "the occupiers," indicating that no civil war would break out among Palestinians.

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[American in Israel]

"Palestinian Pime Minister Mahmoud Abbas condemned the criminal and terrorist Israeli attack today," Abbas's office said in a statement issued in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "Such attacks obstruct and sabotage the political process."

Funny I do not recall anything being said about Hamas vowing to continue to attack Israel yesterday by Abbas, nor any such thing being said about the attack on the checkpoint that killed four Jews...

Abbas is a terrorist, Colon Bowel is his buddy.

[Catspaw]

Hamas said that the attack was an Israeli "declaration of war"

So what's different now? Their goal has always been to kill Israelis, as many as possible, until they drive Israel into the sea.

[Roughneck]

I thought Hamas has declared they will not stop suicide bombings and that, as a fact, hamas in the last few days has held suicide (HOMICIDE, MURDER) attacks againts Israel.

Israel has a right to protect themselves. If Abbas can not control hamas - then Israel has a right to do it for them.

This is the same Palestinian propoganda we have heard for years.

In my opinion, palestine does not deserve it's own state until THEY FIRST control terrorists acts perpetuated againts the Israel population.

[borisbob69]

Yes indeed...this was a terrorist attack...unfortunately, the terrorist being attacked was only slightly injured instead of assuming room temperature!

[Phil V.]

The IDF's "mistake" was in only wounding this underling . . . Sheikh Ahmed Yassin next will be visited by Mohammed Soprano . . .

[blam]

""We will continue with our holy war and resistance until every last criminal Zionist is evicted from this land," Rantisi told the Arab TV satellite station Al Jazeera from his hospital bed."

They should have killed this SOB in the hospital.

[Ready4Freddy]

"Israel has a right to protect themselves."

Agreed, but i think that they fooked up here, they should stop the retaliation for a month or so at least to let the world see what the palis are all about.

This attack plays right into the palis' hands.

[yonif]

You see? He defends terrorists. Another example that he is still a terrorist. All these people the roadmap deals with are terrorist on the PLO side. He calls this a terrorist attack? Ha ha ha.

[yonif]

Agreed, but i think that they fooked up here, they should stop the retaliation for a month or so at least to let the world see what the palis are all about.

The world knows what these arabs are all about 1993-2003 Oslo War.

[Roughneck]

"This attack plays right into the palis' hands."

Thats true. But how much is Israel supposed to take?

I would not mind USA troops over there rooting out and killing the murderous hamas group. I think we should do it, and wonder why Dubya cant see this. It's plain as the nose on Babs face that hamas will destroy the, ah..Road map.

[TLBSHOW]

Check this out will you?

.....Q Ari, there are millions are conservative supporters of the President who have signed letters protesting this road map for peace. Does the President see these letters, and does he give any consideration to this important constituent base of his?

MR. FLEISCHER: There's no question the President is aware of the risks to the road map. And the risks of the road map come principally from both edges of the debate. And, of course, within Israel there will be many people who oppose the dismantlement of these illegal outposts. But these are the actions that are required to be taken for Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security.

And never stop asking yourself the question when it comes to the Middle East, how much longer can Israel and the Palestinian Authority live the way they are, with violence, with killing, with retaliation. Israel has the right to defend itself. But is there a better way? Is there a way that Israel and a Palestinian Authority can finally, at long last, live side by side as Israel and as a Palestinian state?

There have been Arab nations that have made peace treaties with Israel, and have honored them -- Egypt has, Jordan has. Why does anybody have to assume that the Palestinian people don't want the same thing? There are terrorists who don't want it. And the terrorists are the enemy, not only of peace, but of the creation of a Palestinian state. And that's why the President welcomes the words and is now looking for the results in the actions of the new Palestinian leader, as well as Prime Minister Sharon.

Q
Do you know if President Bush plan a direct response to these letters or plans to meet with any of these conservative leaders?



MR. FLEISCHER:

The President's response is widely known. The President is dedicated to implementing the road map.



http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/926117/posts?page=

[Ready4Freddy]

Apparently not. If W's / Sharon's 'plan' is to see if the palis can keep their end of the Road Map bargain, there's no point in playing into their hands for the next month or so, is there? The attempted rubout of the Hama mouthpiece did nothing good for Istael's cause, did it?

Or are you just so heavily into the Hatfields & McCoys gig that you think that Israel can't 'afford' to lay off for a month or so?

[judicial meanz]

This kills me.

1) Mudering b*stard belongs to a formal terrorist organization that has killed both Americans and Israelis
2) Same has ordered the death of many Israelis
3) Israel tries to off him and misses by a hair
4) Pals claim this is a terrorist attack and make political hay out of it with propaganda

This "Road Map" crap isnt going to work, and neither is any other type of political solution. I'm convinced this is going to eventually end up in a full scale war.

I'm also convinced that our President is going to suffer some political losses and support from this, and I hope it doesnt benefit the Democrats and allow them some gains.

Supporting murdering Palestinian terrorists who want to be paid off by the elimination of Israel isnt profitable or American. Whitewashing them isnt going to work, and pragmatism isnt going to work either.

Draw the damned line and call them as they are: murdering freaks of nature who need a dirtnap.

[white trash redneck]

Damn. Six missles into one car and they couldn't even kill the bastard.

[Ready4Freddy]

"Thats true. But how much is Israel supposed to take?"

They've taken far more than they should, of course, but laying off for a month or so, now that the 'Road Map' is in place, won't hurt their cause, and may well help it.

For those that think that Israel cannot afford to let even one attack go w/o a response - guess it's time for Israel to quit fookin' around, and wage total war. Stock up on all the spare parts & ammo you can (since total war will probably require Israel to eschew further US aid), and let loose the dogs of war.

[mass55th]

Abbas refuses to disarm the terrorists, then complains when the IDF does his job for him. Time for the U.S. to cut off communications with this useless Arafat puppet too and let the Israelis continue their war on terror to protect themselves.

[Teacher317]

Of course it was a terrorist attack. They attacked a terrorist. ;^)

[Ready4Freddy]

"....and let the Israelis continue their war on terror to protect themselves."

Has their 'war on terror' been working very well lately?

[MoJo2001]

GO ISRAEL GO!