Posted on 07/01/2002 11:47:52 AM PDT by mhking
CELEAN JACOBSON
Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) - Hamas extremists threatened Monday to avenge Israel's killing of a senior West Bank bombmaker who Israel said was responsible for the deaths of nearly 120 people.
Israeli special forces struck a blow to Hamas when Mohaned Tahir, 26, was killed Sunday. Soldiers raked a house in the West Bank city of Nablus where Tahir was staying with machine-gun fire, fired in a tank shell, then razed the house with a bulldozer.
The Israeli army said Tahir was responsible for a June 18 bus attack in Jerusalem that killed 19 Israelis - and prompted Israel's latest West Bank military campaign that has taken over most major West Bank towns and cities. It said he also was behind a June 2001 suicide bombing at a Tel Aviv disco that killed 21 others, most of them teen-agers.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Tahir's killing "a very important operation" of self-defense for Israel. "I speak about a murderer that committed the most terrible crimes, and our position is - and I am glad it is also the position of President Bush - that there is no compromise with terror." President Bush has supported Israel's right to defend itself, though Washington has said it opposes targeted killings.
Last week, Sharon pledged a "massive campaign" against Hamas, concentrating on the group's activists in the Gaza Strip. Except for an Israeli air strike last week, Gaza has been spared during three months of Israeli military activity in retaliation for suicide bombings.
Sources in Hamas described Tahir as a leading bombmaker in the group's military wing, Izzadine al-Qassam. Israeli authorities handed his body over to the Palestinians early Monday, and a funeral was expected when there is a break in the curfew confining city's 115,000 residents to their homes.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Ismail Abu Shanab called Tahir's killing a "dirty crime" and, when asked if Hamas planned revenge, said: "Our people cannot forget the blood of their heroes and their people killed."
Hamas sources in the West Bank, speaking on condition of anonymity, said revenge for Tahir's death is their top priority.
Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer brushed off the threats and said Israel would continue to do whatever is necessary to protect itself against suicide bombers.
"There is no lack of engineers," Ben-Eliezer told Israel Radio, using the Palestinian term for bombmakers. Tahir, he said, was involved in nearly every Hamas bombing in the past few months - building bombs, planning attacks and preparing bombers.
Imad Darwazeh, 37, was also killed in the Israeli strike. Palestinians say Darwazeh was not a known Hamas activist. His brother, Salah Darwazeh, had been a member of Izzadine al-Qassam and was killed in an Israeli missile strike in July 2001.
Hamas has claimed responsibility for many of the 71 suicide bombings that have killed more than 200 Israelis in the past 21 months.
Tahir spent three years in a Palestinian prison but was released in September 2000, when the Palestinian uprising erupted after peace talks collapsed.
In Gaza City, about 4,000 Palestinians marched on Yasser Arafat's headquarters, complaining that Arafat has been unable to ease the economic hardships that have accompanied 21 months of conflict. Some attached pitta bread to their signs, a symbol of their struggle for daily bread. Up to now, Palestinians have blamed Israel for their difficulties, noting the Israeli roadblocks and restrictions that have crippled the Palestinian economy.
In the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security officials, residents and hospital officials in Rafah refugee camp said that before dawn Monday, Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers moved into a neighborhood, firing on houses. They said residents fled and Palestinian gunmen engaged soldiers in a firefight; three Palestinians were injured.
Bulldozers demolished seven houses and damaged two others before leaving, residents said. The army said it destroyed three abandoned buildings near the Gaza-Egypt border and that grenades and explosives were directed at its troops, who returned fire. One soldier was slightly injured, the army said.
Israeli troops also entered Salfit town south of Nablus overnight and arrested Anan Hashash, 28, a senior activist in the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militia Palestinian security officials said. Soldiers were searching homes and detaining some residents, they said.
Also on Monday, anti-aircraft shells fired by Hezbollah guerrillas at Israeli warplanes flying over southern Lebanon rained down on Israeli border towns, damaging a wedding hall in Kiryat Shemona. There were no reports of injuries.
In an attempt to keep suicide bombers out of Jerusalem, Israel began building a towering electronic fence Sunday that will protect three sides of the city against Palestinian attacks, Ben-Eliezer said during a visit to the southern edge of Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem fence, which will stretch 30 miles, is similar to one that will separate part of the West Bank from Israel farther to the northwest. Construction on that fence began earlier this month, part of a larger plan to physically separate Israel from the West Bank - a distance of about 215 miles.
Palestinians want east Jerusalem for a capital of a future state, and they oppose fencing off the city from the West Bank. Jerusalem has been hit harder than any other Israeli city during the latest Israeli-Palestinian violence, and security forces have set up barricades to keep West Bank Palestinians from reaching Jerusalem.
The army, meanwhile, kept a tight grip on seven major Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank that it reoccupied nearly two weeks ago, carrying out arrest sweeps and hunting down militants. Sharon would not say when troops would pull back, reiterating he first requires "the full cessation of terror, hostility and incitement."
No mention of the suffering Israeli economy..
That is dumb. So, we support random killings, but not going after specific, well known bad guys? We continue to push these anti racial profiling ideas which continues to suggest that we aren't serious. I'm glad to see Israel is serious and doesn't bother with that crap. We could learn something there.
Fatah threatens Israel and the USA to avenge Arafat snub.
Al-Qaeda threatens the USA to avenge America's existence.
Hezbollah threatens Israel to avenge Israel's existence.
Abu Sayyaf (Philippine terrorist group) has not issued any new threats since they are on the run.
Who did I miss?
"The army said it destroyed three abandoned buildings near the Gaza-Egypt border and that grenades and explosives were directed at its troops, who returned fire."
Perhaps the Israelis should develop and publicize a policy to bulldoze buildings which are used by Pali snipers/grenadiers. Then the inhabitants would think twice about letting the terrorists use their homes as a military spotting platform.
I have my towel; do you have yours?
Starting to sound like that Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan, where in the end, with his ship being blasted out from under him, Kahn declared after each new crewmember was found dead in the rubble: "I will avenge you!!!"
Israeli special forces struck a blow to Hamas when Mohaned Tahir, 26, was killed Sunday. Soldiers raked a house in the West Bank city of Nablus where Tahir was staying with machine-gun fire, fired in a tank shell, then razed the house with a bulldozer.
Absolutely splendid!
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Tahir's killing "a very important operation" of self-defense for Israel. "I speak about a murderer that committed the most terrible crimes, and our position is - and I am glad it is also the position of President Bush - that there is no compromise with terror." President Bush has supported Israel's right to defend itself, though Washington has said it opposes targeted killings.
Israel has it right. No trials. Collect the evidence, declare them to be proven military combatants, and kill them wherever they are found. No exceptions. -- Got that, President Bush. No exceptions. Massaui (sp?). Gitmo. Anwhere.
Sources in Hamas described Tahir as a leading bombmaker in the group's military wing, Izzadine al-Qassam. Israeli authorities handed his body over to the Palestinians early Monday, and a funeral was expected when there is a break in the curfew confining city's 115,000 residents to their homes.
They shoud have dropped his body into the nearest commode or compost pile.
Tahir spent three years in a Palestinian prison but was released in September 2000, when the Palestinian uprising erupted after peace talks collapsed.
Correction, he was let go by his fellow terrorist arafart, who happened to be in charge.
In Gaza City, about 4,000 Palestinians marched on Yasser Arafat's headquarters, complaining that Arafat has been unable to ease the economic hardships that have accompanied 21 months of conflict. Some attached pitta bread to their signs, a symbol of their struggle for daily bread. Up to now, Palestinians have blamed Israel for their difficulties...
Hmmmmm. But this can't be. The intellectual leftists in the media have told us that Israel's policy is not working and will not work. Ooooops.
Palestinians want east Jerusalem for a capital of a future state, and they oppose fencing off the city from the West Bank.
Who cares...
Washington would much rather have indiscriminate killings huh?
EBUCK
You mean as opposed to the peace-loving way they've acted up until now?
What a stupid headline.
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