Posted on 08/20/2005 4:36:55 AM PDT by ex-Texan
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - In a challenge to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, dozens of masked Hamas gunmen took over Gaza City's central square on Saturday and announced they would not stop attacks on Israel, despite Israel's ongoing withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
The show of force by Hamas came just as Abbas announced Jan. 25 as the date for legislative election, a move that could boost his international credibility and encourage Hamas to hold its fire during the pullout.
Abbas, who is under intense international pressure to disarm militant groups, has been urging them not to flaunt their weapons in public. However, even the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a group with ties to Abbas' ruling Fatah movement, has largely ignored his appeal.
On Saturday, several dozen Hamas gunmen took over Gaza's central square and closed all entrances to it. Police cruisers approached but did not interfere as the gunmen announced they would not lay down their arms.
"This retreat does not mean the end of our battle, but it is the beginning," said a spokesman for the Hamas military wing, who identified himself only by his nom-de-geurre, Abu Obaideh.
"Our battle with the (Israeli) enemy is long and will continue," Abu Obaideh said, addressing a group of some 40 armed and masked Hamas members who had gathered in a square outside the Palestinian Parliament building.
Israel is in the midst of evacuating 21 Gaza Strip settlements and four in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the move is necessary to boost Israel's security.
But Palestinians have tried to portray the move as a victory for them.
On Friday Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Israel was quitting Gaza because of Palestinian "sacrifices" and "patience," and he promised the withdrawal would lead to further pullouts from the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Hamas, which has carried out dozens of attacks and suicide bombings against Israeli targets during the more than four years of violence, said it would continue the armed struggle until these goals are achieved.
The Palestinians claim all of Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem for a future state.
Hamas had agreed to halt attacks against Israelis in the run up to the withdrawal. Israeli and Palestinian violence has also dropped since a February cease fire was declared.
Attacks from Hamas from Gaza, if they are in the government, will be attacks from one soverign state upon another.
I doubt Israel will let any bad deed go unpunished.
you woulda thunk it was a region of vast oil reserves, too.......
I think Sharon was betting on the world seeing the lying, filthy palis and hamas for what they are. I also think he will lose that bet.
but its not an ideology
No, he'll win the bet...the world will see but will ignore. If you ignore the obvious then in your world it doesn't exist!
I think once Israel completes their good faith pullout and the muslim terrorists renew their attacks...then Israel will feel justified in wiping out not only the leaders but as many as don't have the common sense to head for the far reaches of wherever terrorists congregate openly.
I'll take a crack at it. But please save the flames. I am not saying I agree with the following strategery. I am only taking the time to explain it.
Savage had the right idea but the wrong analysis. Savage attacked the withdrawal based on the "borders" part of his definition of a nation as "borders, language, culture."
His analysis based on the map is, of course, correct. Gaza does, geographically, violate the convexity of a continguous Israel. But the logic of the withdrawal is found in the "language" and "culture" domains.
There are 1.4 million crazy muslim arabs in Gaza. There are (were) 8000 jews in Gaza. Israel itself has a total population of about 4 million. The logic for the Gaza withdrawal is to defuse the demographic time bomb that the Palis have been working on for the last 3 decades. Bush's drive for democratization of the Middle East makes defusing this time bomb even more critical.
What Sharon et. al. hope to accomplish is the establishment of undisputed control of a set of territories that have an overwhelmingly Jewish character (language and culture if you will). This is what disengagement is all about. Once Israel and the Palestinians are separated, security becomes a straightforward military matter between states.
It doesn't matter. Israel is the only villain here...just ask Condoleeza Reich, our Minister of Appeasement.
That's what I'm thinking. Sharon promised hell-to-pay if the Palis continue their hostilities after the Great Gaza Giveaway. Israel has great political cover to now go into Gaza and exterminate the place because you know it will be SOP for Hamas and the rest of the gang. I predict Israel will control Gaza again within 5 years.
Yeah, it's like the KKK choosing to set up their headquarters in the middle of Harlem. And expecting no reaction.
......Time for Bibbi Netanyahu to take control in Israel again......
The way has been cleared.
How many 155mm guns will it take to fire one round per minute unceasing for twentyfour hours without damaging the guns or exhausting the crews?
The number when determined should be put into action and pulverize one square kilometer in Gaza. The dust from the hole should be so fine that no trace of what was there continues to exist. This message is the only message that can be delivered and believed.
The Gaza women must be made to quiver and cry and rent their clothing in fear. The induced fear must be so great that there can be no anger or thoughts of retribution.
Well, I'm not as naive as 3/4 of the posters on this thread. Or Sharon.
I fully expect a (diminished) continuance of Palestinian hostility until the withdrawal of the Israeli civilians from the occupied territories (Gaza and the West Bank to the Green Line) is complete.
Don't you?
Or do you really believe that the Palestinians will declare victory, lay down their arms, settle peacably into Gaza, and wait another 40 years for Israel to respect the wishes of the rest of the world and withdraw their civilian population from the occupied West Bank?
Yeah, he accomplished so much the first time.
Uhhhhmmm....no. And I don't think you don't fall into that "3/4 of the posters" category.
You don't think the violence will continue? Please explain.
No, I expect the violence to continue. I misread your post--my bad.
"Time for Bibbi Netanyahu to take control in Israel again. I give the Palis until February to reveal the true intentions. Bibbi will run them out of Gaza if he is given a free hand. 'Nuff said."
Bibi is a man of big talk and little action.
He supported the early stages of the withdrawl, and only quit support after it was too late to do anything about it.
A total opportunist.
The only man I see as good PM material is Natan Sharansky.
"Rice demands it, so we'll see what happens."
Rice has 0 shot at the '08 GOP nomination. I don't know why people think she does. She's worse than Powell, even.
Why people think Bush is a Conservative also puzzles me.
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