US Holds Back from Condemning Hamas Leader Killing

Reuters ^ | 4-17-04 | Caren Bohan

[Indy Pendance]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States refrained from condemning the killing of a top Hamas leader on Saturday and limited its criticism of the assassination to saying it feared for the stability of the Middle East.

Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi died after an Israeli helicopter fired two missiles at his car in the Gaza Strip. Enraged Palestinians said President Bush shared the blame for his death.

While asking all parties to show restraint, the White House urged Israel to think through the consequences of its actions.

"The United States is gravely concerned for regional peace and stability," the White House said in a statement.

Bush stood with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon three days ago and welcomed the Israeli leader's plan to withdraw Jewish settlements from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, saying that could help get the peace "road map" back on track.

But in a historic shift that has outraged the Arab world, Bush tacitly endorsed Israel's wish to keep some settlements on the West Bank. That broke with Washington's long-held view that the settlements were an obstacle to peace.

In Saturday's statement, the White House said, "Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorist attacks" -- words that may fuel Palestinian anger.

In avoiding a condemnation of the Israeli strike, the statement reflected a formula the Washington routinely uses when Israel targets a Palestinian militant.

Issued under the name of Bush's press secretary, Scott McClellan, the statement labeled Hamas a "terrorist" group responsible for an attack in the northern Gaza strip hours before the Rantissi killing.

A suicide bomber blew himself up at the Erez border crossing in northern Gaza, killing an Israeli soldier.

VOWS OF REVENGE

The U.S. response to the assassination was in stark contrast to condemnations from around the world,

The European Union condemned the killing as unlawful and "not conducive to lowering tension."

A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the assassination violated international law and could lead to more violence in the Middle East.

In Gaza, Palestinians poured into the streets to view the wreckage of Rantissi's car and vowed revenge on Israel.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie accused the United States of giving a green light to the assassination.

He said Bush showed a clear bias by saying on Wednesday that Israel could expect to keep some of the land it captured during the 1967 Middle East war and by appearing to negate any right of return for Palestinian refugees to Israel.

Sharon pitched the Gaza "disengagement" plan as an attempt to break the deadlock after three and a half years blighted by Palestinian suicide bombers and Israeli military crackdowns.

Israeli and U.S. officials have expressed fears Hamas could play a bigger role in Gaza, a power base for the Islamic fundamentalist group, once it is under Palestinian rule.

The outrage in the Arab world at U.S. policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is helping fuel support across the region for an insurgency against American occupation in Iraq.

"There are many who just have the assumption we are pro-Israeli, no matter what we say or do," a State Department official said. U.S. officials said the United States had not changed its policy of opposing Israeli assassinations.

"The Israelis do not consult with the United States when they take their military actions," a State Department spokeswoman said. (Additional reporting by Saul Hudson)

[Mr. Mojo]

the White House urged Israel to think through the consequences of its actions.

Oh, they have. Israel and the U.S. doubtlessly thought this one through together, in fact.

[Betaille]

"The outrage in the Arab world at U.S. policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is helping fuel support across the region for an insurgency against American occupation in Iraq."
HUH?! What do they have to back that up? Thats absolutely untrue. Shameless anti-semitic spin.

[ChocChipCookie]

The U.S. response to the assassination was in stark contrast to condemnations from around the world,

This makes me so proud to be an American and doubly proud of our President. It is so clear that he is the ONLY world leader who gets it. He's not afraid to look reality head on and do what has to be done. Don't even get me started on the rest of the lot.

[Betaille]

Absolutely. If the cowardly western europeans want to keep complaining about those who are saving civilization... they can meet us on the BATTLEFEILD!

[PhilDragoo]

Reuters, the propaganda arm of the "militant" group Hamas.

Issued under the name of Bush's press secretary, Scott McClellan, the statement labeled Hamas a "terrorist" group responsible for an attack in the northern Gaza strip hours before the Rantissi killing.

Reuters blames Bush and "Bush's press secretary" for labelling Hamas a "terrorist" group.

Would Reuters persist in this bootlicking of murderers were its reporters the ones murdered in their hundreds by this "militant" group?

Bravo to Bush for finally dropping the hypocrital counsel of "restraint".

Better for us to take out that Irani butt puppet al-Sadr for the murders, mutilations, kidnappings, tortures--

Whack-A-Mole proceeds with all the fairies shrieking.

[Southack]

"The outrage in the Arab world at U.S. policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is helping fuel support across the region for an insurgency against American occupation in Iraq."

They would go to Iraq to die against American fighter-bombers rather than go to Israel to fight against Sharon because of their outrage about the Palestinian conflict in Israel?! What unintelligent drivel must fill these reporters' heads!

[Betaille]

"They would go to Iraq to die against American fighter-bombers rather than go to Israel to fight against Sharon because of their outrage about the Palestinian conflict in Israel?!"
Excellent point.

[jaykay]

Not only should the U.S. not condemn the execution of the terrorist, we should be doing the same to Al Sadr in Iraq. Then if the old man Sistani says one word about it, he's meat as well. Plunk every "leader" until we get one who knows what's good for him and his tribe.

[clee1]

The United States refrained from condemning...

"Refrain from condemning" my assets!

GW ought to stand up in front of the UN General Assembly and cheer! And then, announce a list of the next targets for elimination - terrorists and rogue regimes alike.

The democraps and eurotrash are gonna holler like a stuck pig no matter what we do; might as well give 'em sumthin to holler 'bout.

[UnChained]

"GW ought to stand up in front of the UN General Assembly and cheer! And then, announce a list of the next targets for elimination - terrorists and rogue regimes alike."



Agreed.. This guy was a very appropriate target for direct US action. Our mealy mouth chiding of Isreal is a disappointment.

Here is a news quote about this guy from back in January 2003

quote
At one of the rallies organized by Hamas, some 3,000 participants waved signs bearing slogans such as "Death to America" and "Victory from Jerusalem to Baghdad."

Hamas leader Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi urged the Iraqi people to stage suicide attacks against the US. "I call on Iraq to establish an army of future martyrs (suicide bombers) and to prepare tens of thousands of explosive belts. Explode next to American soldiers. Blow them up in Baghdad. I call upon all Arab states to scorch the earth that the Americans walk on in every Arab capital city."

"Rantisi also published a statement on the Hamas Web site calling on the Iraqi government "to establish a suicide army that will strike fear in the hearts of the enemy. There is no choice but to set up thousands of secretly operating suicide cells with thousands of explosive belts equipped to cause meaningful results," he wrote. According to Rantisi, "the quickest way to reach Paradise is to sacrifice yourself in Allah's name."

[LBriggs169]

Like our great President said, its going to be a long battle. Since our comittment in Iraq began, we just opened the Pandora's box of Muslimism, the Palestinians and all the other tribes from Ishmael.

They were a curse after Isaac and the next group of "rebels" should be the despots who are members in the UN. What a major joke they have been. Bush exposed them before the war. I thought it was a great presence he had during his speech there.

I don't get it yet how they could even mention that the UN would have anything governmentally to do with Iraq. They did and are doing a real bang-up job in Kosovo. Aren't they?
I think the Pres. knows exactly what he is doing with the UN and like these Hamas ass-clowns, we're gonna blow the crap out of the UN "Social Club."

The fanatical Muslims, Islams, and all those other A-rabs are major po'ed now at the US and they are NOT going to give up until we have wiped out all of there fanatical infrastructure. Its hell now in the Mid_East. No turning back now.
America Forever!
LB169

[Blue Highway]

GW ought to stand up in front of the UN General Assembly and cheer! And then, announce a list of the next targets for elimination - terrorists and rogue regimes alike. The democraps and eurotrash are gonna holler like a stuck pig no matter what we do; might as well give 'em sumthin to holler 'bout.

Isn't there a saying that says: 'The best defense is having the best offense' We need to stay one step ahead of the far left. Kicking arse and taking names of rogue nations and hostile regimes!

In a day that should be celebrated as another terrosist leader was killed, Tom Daschle is "deeply saddened"

[clee1]

The thing is, is that Israel could easily settle the "palestinian" uprising themselves, if the US would just say "OK, the gloves are off. Do what you must."

The PC and moral-relativist crowds are gonna kill us all; if we let them.

How do you kill (if you're smart) a poisonous snake? You blow his damned head off! You darn SURE don't try to "negotiate" with it.

[clee1]

Isn't there a saying that says: 'The best defense is having the best offense'

Also stated the other way "A good offense is the best defense." The corrolary to that is: A small problem, dealt with properly, never becomes a large problem.

Look at Quaddafi in Libia - it wasn't a stretch in his imagination to see that he was on the "hit list" - so he changed his tune. Even the stupidest of backward savages understands overwhelming force.

Just think of how much better and more free the world would be if the American people would learn to recognise right and wrong, and would have the stones to deal with the problems before they cause us harm. GW and the "adults in charge" understand this; too bad the leftists and traitors (and the sheeple that keep electing them) in our society never seem to learn.

[LibWhacker]

"The United States is gravely concerned for regional peace and stability,"

Yawn. Same old, same old. Peace and stability weren't affected after Israel got Yassin. Although granted, it hasn't been all that long ago, things did not get worse.

Palestinians have been on a continual murderous rampage for years. It just can't get worse than that. And it won't get worse than that unless you believe Syria will attack -- which would be an utterly foolhardy move on their part if they did. No, these targeted killings of top terrorists promote peace and stability, not jeopardize it.

[Ben Chad]

In my neighborhood, people honked horns and threw candy to kids in celebration.

[UnChained]

"The thing is, is that Israel could easily settle the "palestinian" uprising themselves, if the US would just say "OK, the gloves are off. Do what you must." "


I wonder what would have happened if 19 Saudi's had used Saudi money to learn how to crash planes into Tel Aviv Hi-Rise buildings. I suspect that Mecca would have become a glassy parking lot.

"You're either for us or against us" GWB 2001

[clee1]

I wonder what would have happened if 19 Saudi's had used Saudi money to learn how to crash planes into Tel Aviv Hi-Rise buildings. I suspect that Mecca would have become a glassy parking lot.

I suspect you're correct.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: The world better be glad that I'm not the President - On Sept. 12th, 2001 (my Bday is 9-11) I'd have nuked it all. From the eastern border of Israel to the western border of India, from the southern border of Russia to the Indian Ocean; The entire area would be flat 'n glassy. I'd have told Indonesia, the Phillipines, and selected African nations that they would be next if they didn't get the savages in their midst under control.

The UN and Europe would have raised hell, and Congress might have impeached me, but the future generations of Americans would be alot better off. My God! in this day and age we just can't afford to let a terrorist use a WMD in a major US population center. That means that ALL peoples of the world MUST adhere to civilized behavior - otherwise they are an intolerable threat.

The sad part is, it may yet still have to be done. I pray for GW, and I pray that the "adults" stay in charge for a loooooong time. The PC and psychobabbler crowd will allow terrorists of whatever stripe to kill us all if the loony left takes over.