U.S. refuses to condemn Israel attack

Boston Herald ^ | March 23, 2004 | Andrew Miga

[FairOpinion]

WASHINGTON - The United States braced for a wave of potential retaliatory strikes by Hamas yesterday in the wake of Israel's assassination of the extremist Palestinian group's leader, a killing that provoked widespread furor in the Arab world.

The White House struck a hard line against Hamas, expressing concern about Israel's deadly strike against militant leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin, but stopping far short of directly condemning the killing.

``Let's remember that Hamas is a terrorist organization and that Sheik Yassin himself has been heavily involved in terrorism,'' Bush national security adviser Condoleezza Rice told CBS News.

Urging restraint amid rapidly escalating violence among Arabs across the Mideast, the White House said it was ``deeply troubled'' by the strike against Yassin.

``We urge everyone to remain calm in the region,'' said White House spokesman Scott McClellan as hundreds of thousands of enraged mourners poured into the streets of Israel's West Bank and Gaza Strip. Yassin helped found Hamas, which advocates the destruction of Israel as its goal, in 1987.

But senior Bush administration officials refused to denounce the strike - and asserted Israel's right to defend itself against terrorists. ``Shiek Yassin was personally involved in terrorism,'' said McClellan. ``That's very well-documented.''

The United Nations and many U.S. allies flatly condemned Israel for the missile attack on the sheik, a quadriplegic, after he exited a Gaza Strip mosque in a wheelchair. Some critics said Israel's strike was tantamount to state-sponsored terrorism.

``Words cannot describe the emotion of anger and hate inside our hearts,'' Ismail Haniyet, a Yassin deputy, told reporters in Gaza.

The White House insisted it had no advance word about Israel's attack on Yassin or his group, which it branded as a terrorist organization.

Hamas, meanwhile, threatened America for the first time and hinted it might recruit outside assistance in mounting strikes against U.S. targets. Hamas considers America a major backer of Israel that should be held responsible for Yassin's death.

``All the Muslims of the world will be honored to join in on the retaliation for this crime,'' according to a written statement from Hamas. ``Israel has exceeded all red lines with this cheap and dirty crime.''

[weegee]

Have the Palestianian leaders condemned Hamas for threating to attack the US in retaliation?

[weegee]

The White House struck a hard line against Hamas, expressing concern about Israel's deadly strike against militant leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin...

Militant leader? Why doesn't the press just come out and call him a terrorist?

I wonder if Rachel Corrie would have gladly traded her life for his.

[BfloGuy]

I hope the American Jewish voter remember, that Bush is the best friend Israel ever had in a US president.

I think that the lie that Israel supposedly represents Judaism will make itself evident in the next election.

I hope I'm wrong, but I'm seeing little evidence that Bush has gained any appreciable support from the American Jewish population (would've said community, but I hate the over-use of that word).

It appears to me that, with the exception of hard-line orthodox Jews, that "acceptance" by the perceived larger community is more important than principle.

[goldstategop]

The surprisingly mild State Department reproof is encouraging. Israel should target and eliminate other Palestinian terrorist leaders. As President Bush expressed it well last week, "There is no neutral ground. The battle is between those who are good and those who are evil. The terrorists should be hunted down and killed." There is little question Israel is on the former side and the PLO/Hamas is on the other. Israel's act deserves to be cheered on by all good and decent people for it has now established a precedent as important as Israel's strike on the Osiraq reactor in Iraq back in the 1980s. Israel will not sit around waiting for the terrorists to eliminate its existence. Rather, following the injunction of the Talmud, the Jewish State will rise up to kill him to who comes to kill her first. And that is exactly what Israel did in sending Sheik Yassin to his grave on Monday.

[weegee]

Words cannot describe the emotion of anger against Miga and the Boston Herald FOR IGNORING THE LIST OF THE MURDERED.

Terrorist Yassin is responsible for AT LEAST 377 dead, and 2,076 wounded.

including 3 American diplomats in Gaza. The list of names is here.

On, Off, or grab it for a Media Shenanigans/Schadenfreude ping:

http://www.freerepublic.com/~anamusedspectator/

[philetus]

Israeli Air Force

webmaser@iaf.org.il

Mr. Ariel Sharon

pm_eng@pmo.gov.il

[USMMA_83]

Boy, if that ain't the Gospel truth!

[AmericanVictory]

No change, in other words.

[clee1]

Medal Hell! We should send that pilot a permanent residency visa.

[GeronL]

I meant, we as in FReepers. The FReeper Medal of Honor.