No surrender, vows new Hamas chief

Telegraph ^ | 3-23-04 | Toby Harnden

[Indy Pendance]

Hamas appointed a new head to replace its assassinated spiritual chief yesterday as Israeli defence officials said they would step up their policy of targeted killings and wipe out the Islamist group's entire leadership.

Dr Abdel Aziz Rantisi, an avowed militarist who is bitterly opposed to the existence of Israel, was named following the removal of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in a missile strike in Gaza City on Monday.

Khalid Mashaal, the Syria-based leader of the Hamas political bureau, will remain as overall Hamas leader outside the Gaza Strip and is likely to be strengthened as a result of Yassin's death.

Ismail Hanieh, a senior Hamas official, told a cheering crowd of tens of thousands in a Gaza football stadium: "After the assassination of the hero, the martyr Ahmed Yassin, a secret election was held."

Rantisi had been "chosen as the new leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement".

Rantisi, a paediatrician, immediately vowed: "We will be unified in the trenches of resistance. We will never surrender to Israeli terror. We have to strengthen the unity of the Palestinians. The continuation of resistance is going to be my goal." A veteran of Israeli jails who was injured in a targeted assassination attack in June, Rantisi has always rejected any compromise and is viewed by Israeli intelligence officials as a hardline fighter with no political plan.

"Rantisi is not a religious figure," said Ephraim Halevy, a former head of Mossad. "He is an operational leader." His appointment, he added, could lead to a "more structured" Hamas than the loose movement presided over by Yassin.

The announcement came after Israeli defence chiefs brushed aside international criticism and decided to step up their policy of targeted assassinations in an attempt to wipe out the Hamas leadership.

Israeli officials hinted that Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Authority chairman, could also soon be on their hit list.

Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli defence minister, said: "If we continue, in a determined way, with our strikes against Hamas and other terror groups, with the means I outlined, including action against those leaders, we will bring more security to Israeli citizens."

When asked whether Mr Arafat and Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hizbollah, were also "marked for death", as Yassin had been, Lt Gen Moshe Ya'alon, chief of the Israel defence forces, hinted that they might be. "I think that their responses alone yesterday show they understand that it is getting closer to them," he said.

Mr Arafat denounced the assassination as a "barbaric crime" and the Hizbollah chief threatened to make Israel "pay very dearly".

Mr Arafat has been confined to his headquarters in Ramallah for the past two years and the official policy of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, is that he should be "removed" at a time of Israel's choosing.

Opinion was divided among Israelis about the wisdom, if not the justice, of the Yassin strike. A Yediot Ahronot newspaper poll showed 60 per cent supporting the assassination with 32 per cent opposed. But 81 per cent said it would lead to an increase in terrorist attacks.

The streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were almost deserted and most buses empty last night as Israelis avoided places where suicide bombings were most likely.

"Everybody's more anxious now," said Yehudit Wade, 66, a retired English teacher who ventured out in the German Colony district of Jerusalem.

"But in Jerusalem you live in a state of constant anxiety and you take precautions."

[Indy Pendance]

When liberals want to make their support appear larger they always use those types of words. Last week the anti-war crowds were pretty small, so the press resorted to 'scores of people'. Well, joe schmoe doesn't know a score, it just sounds big. A score is equal to 20. So 'scores' of people' might be 40-60-80.... (four score and 7 years ago is 87 years)

[Robert_Paulson2]

next.

[ml/nj]

I make the over/under on the number of remaining days is this guy's life at 26.

ML/NJ

[JasonC]

Don't want you to surrender. Want you to die.

[Solamente]

Here's the mutt....

[sheik yerbouty]

"Siutable to be imprinted on urine cakes"

[goldstategop]

The good news is the Israeli Extreme Left has no Palestinian partner. Yossi Beilin's much touted "Geneva Initiative" is a dead letter. What you're hearing are the dying gasps of Oslo.

[McGavin999]

Take him out. Every time they "elect" a new leader, take him out too. As a matter of fact, get the guy in Syria.

[StormEye]

"No, Mr. Rantisi, we don't expect you to surrender. We expect you to die."
30 bonus points for naming the movie and the character the above line is
a take-off from."

Auric Goldfinger.
No Mr. Bond, I don't expect you to talk.
I expect you to die!

[FreeReign]

Ismail Hanieh, a senior Hamas official, told a cheering crowd of tens of thousands in a Gaza football stadium: "After the assassination of the hero, the martyr Ahmed Yassin, a secret election was held."

Only at a Gaza "football" game;

Ladies and gentlemen...gentlemen...gentlemen(echo...echo...echo).

We've gone behind your backs...backs...backs(echo...echo...echo).

Because you suck so bad...so bad...so bad..(echo...echo...echo).

And we held a secret election (Roar of the crowd).

And we picked a new leader for you(Wild cheering).

The War on Terror will not have succeeded until Gaza and alike are cleaned up.

[Centurion2000]

"No, Mr. Rantisi, we don't expect you to surrender. We expect you to die."

Goldfinger, the Man with the Golden Gun

[savedbygrace]

Correct. You're the first correct answer, cleverly naming the movie and the character with one word.

30

[savedbygrace]

You should get some bonus points for remembering Goldfinger's first name.

This was the first movie I saw multiple times. I was in my early teens, had my own money for the first time in my life, and I spent it on Goldfinger. Probably saw it a dozen times.

I was particularly impressed with the way Sean Connery could say Pussy. Hey, I was 14; it was a thing.

[Alouette]

Mouth of Sauron.

[savedbygrace]

Right answer, but 3 minutes too late for the points. Sorry, please try again next time. ;-)

[FreeReign]

I was particularly impressed with the way Sean Connery could say Pussy. Hey, I was 14; it was a thing.

Nowadays, he would probably say it with a lisp.

Does he have false teeth? :))

[MarkL]

Dear Mr Rantisi,

You don't need to surrender. You just need to die.

Have a nice day.

Israel.

[MarkL]

You know, the next time I hear some idiot comparing what Israel does and what these islamist terrorists do, I'll make this point...

Israeli definition of targeted assasination: Kill someone who plots the murder of innocent civilians, while trying to minimize civilian deaths.

Terrorist definition of "targeted assasination:" Kill as many civilians, preferably innocent women and children, in public places, while trying to maximize civilian deaths... Oh, and plan additional attacks to try to murder as many rescue and medical workers as possible too.

Anyone who equates these actions needs to be clubbed like a baby seal.

Mark

[philetus]

They've plumb run out of virgins.

These two are all thats left

[Lijahsbubbe]

"After the assassination of the hero, the martyr Ahmed Yassin, a secret election was held."

Rantisi had been "chosen as the new leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement".

Makes you wonder if Rantisi had a choice in being the next target.