Posted on 03/22/2004 5:37:04 AM PST by SJackson
Yasin killing was necessary for protecting the lives of civilians
Danny Yatom
Yasin killing was necessary for protecting the lives of civilians Yasin was not only a religious and spiritual mentor but also a military leader who determined the murderous nature of the Hamas’s attacks.
The killing of Sheikh Ahmed Yasin could not be avoided. Hamas, which Yasin led, is a terrorist organization whose purposes are destroying the State of Israel, killing as many Israelis as possible and wrecking any chance for peace between us and the Palestinians.
Yasin was not only a religious and spiritual leader but also a military leader who determined the murderous nature of the Hamas’s attacks, a leader who was involved in many terrorist attacks. He continued to lead Hamas on the path of terror, after he was warned several times and even after an attempt on his life.
A democratic state must take every step necessary to protect its residents. " a la guerre comme a la guerre:" in the war against terror, words are not enough. Every member of the terrorist organizations must be targeted. Therefore, killing Yasin was a necessary step in the comprehensive war against terror.
Killing Yasin will not stop the terrorism. In the short-term, it is likely to increase it. However, the attack could damage Hamas’s medium-range ability to perpetrate attacks and cause serious long-term damage.
The fact that Israel dared to kill Yasin may also prompt the Palestinian Authority to begin acting against the terrorists. Hamas suffered a very serious blow. There is no one visible on the horizon who is capable of replacing Sheikh Yasin. It is likely that the PA, whom Hamas also threatens, will take advantage of the confusion within the organization to take a stronger position against it.
The killing could make it harder for the PA to control the Palestinian street. It is likely that there will be massive, difficult riots but if the PA wants to survive, it must take control of the street. This will be the test not only for Hamas’s future activity but also for PA’s own power and independence. If the PA cannot prevent the Gaza Strip from descending into chaos, there is no doubt that it will be crippled.
As of this writing, the targeted killings should continue. We should continue pursuing terrorists. They will try to perpetrate attacks whenever they are able. Today, I support the decision to kill Yasin. Despite this, let me reiterate: Diplomatic initiative is the only way to prevent the conflict from attaining new heights of bloodshed and suffering. The initiative begins with the unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip and continues with negotiations with the Palestinians with the goal of reaching a peaceful settlement. The government of Israel, for its part, is completely avoiding the diplomatic side of the conflict.
The writer, a Labor MK, was head of the Mossad
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After Yasin's killing, the worst is yet to come
Ben Kaspit
We must all pray that the killing of Hamas's leader does not arouse all Moslems against us, and immerse us in a pool of blood
For three days, IAF helicopters and drones followed Sheikh Ahmad Yasin in the most frequently watched and photographed wheel chair in modern history. At Sunday’s meeting of the government, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz suddenly rose from his chair, walked around the room, stood behind Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and whispered something in his ear. The ministers considered this unusual whisper very important. Mofaz was telling Sharon that there was an “operational opportunity” to target Yasin.
In the end that opportunity did not come to fruition. Less than one day later, there was another opportunity. Yasin is history. The question is how many of us will follow him to the grave. “The hunting season” as it was picturesquely named by a senior defense official last week, has begun. The worst is yet to come.
Time will tell who will hunt and who will be hunted, who will be predator and who will be prey. Let us pray that the assassination of Yasin will not cause the entire Arab world to rise up against us, not drown us all in a sea of blood and not turn our own maelstrom into a world-wide religious war. Let us hope that it was the right decision.
After the attacks in Ashdod last week, the cabinet approved targeted-killing missions against the heads of Hamas, including Yasin. The ministers from Shinui, Lapid and Poraz, dissented. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom who expressed some opposition in the previous cabinet meeting, veered right and agreed.
Intelligence information connected the paralyzed leader of the Hamas to the attacks in the port, which were planned to be strategic mega-attacks. Sharon’s patience gave out. The previous night, immediately after the attack, while Mofaz was still in Washington, Sharon ordered the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. General Moshe Ya’alon to loosen all of the reins, go for broke and run amok.
This morning, the IDF sent Yassin to heaven in a whirlwind. Sharon, who declared that we would not leave Gaza with our “tails between our legs” was satisfied. The rest of us should worry.
There is no doubt that Yassin was rightly condemned to die. The argument was over who should carry out the sentence. What would be the balance of benefit versus damage of a move that could push the entire region over the edge, into chaos? Make a note of the date, March 22, and add it to the list of “Ten Days of Remembrance”. The last day of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin on earth will become a day of calamity.
What can we expect now? The IDF hopes, before the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, to empty Hamas of its leadership in a process that will decapitate the organization, destroy its infrastructure, scatter its central terrorists and turn them into persecuted men. “They also want to live”, say IDF officers in closed meetings. “It is easy for them to dispatch suicide bombers but they love life”.
In the next few months, we will learn how valid that assumption is. The opposite, grimmer scenario is very terrifying. According to that scenario, killing Yassin will increase the pool of suicide bomber seeking revenge, by the thousands. All Moslems, around the world, will burn with desire to explode next to us. The threshold of violence will reach new heights and terrorist motivation will flourish.
Crazy Israel, in the words of people in the Palestinian Authority, will collide with crazy Islam and together ignite, in front of our eyes and over our dead bodies, galactic explosions of the new millenium. Let us pray that this prediction is groundless. Let us hope that the chain of events that they expect, will not become the subject of an Israeli government investigation.
Israel killed Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. An Israeli-Arab attacked three Israelis with an ax, as a result of the killing. The entire country is on high alert. The Palestinians responded: We will cut off Sharon’s head”. Israel responded, “Sheikh Yassin was the Bin-Laden of the Palestinians”.
BZZZZZT. Wrong. Blowing up the funeral will save tens of thousands of innocents, too.
He's joking, yes?
One important fact is that time is on the side of the Palis in terms of demographics, and probably also in the political climate. An extended battle of attrition which never rises to open declared (by the Israelis) conflict serves them quite nicely.
Israel has the incentive and the ability to bring the situation to a head and to play on military turf where it has huge advantages.
What a joke! Every Muslim would love to kill a Jew...this changes nothing other than another POS is dead. Arafat next!
NO.I believe they have said repeatedly, "We choose death you chose life"
I praise Israel for taking this right to the heart of the Palestinians. This is an escalation that cannot result in backing down as in the past, you've rattled the beehive now finish the job and torch it.
You say you understand this? I'm sorry for you.
Don't feel sorry for me, I'm doing just fine.
Why are you sorry for blam? When a religious fanatic swears to kill you and your people -- either convert to Islam or die -- it appears to me that the only choice, regrettably, is to kill him/them. They train their children to be suicide bombers, for heaven's sake.
Carolyn
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