Posted on 07/23/2002 7:59:23 AM PDT by RCW2001
SCOTT LINDLAW, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, July 23, 2002
©2002 Associated Press
URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/07/23/national1018EDT0556.DTL
(07-23) 07:41 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --
President Bush denounced as "heavy-handed" an Israeli warplane's missile attack on a Gaza City apartment building, which killed a Hamas leader at the top of Israel's most-wanted list and at least 14 other Palestinians, including nine children.
"This heavy-handed action does not contribute to peace," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Tuesday, pointing to "the loss of innocent life."
"This message will be conveyed to Israeli authorities, and the United States regrets the loss of life," the spokesman said.
Fleischer rejected comparisons between the missile strike and American attacks in Afghanistan that have killed civilians.
"It is inaccurate to compare the two, because the United States, because of an errant bomb, a mistake in a mission, has occasionally engaged in military action that we very regrettably included losses of innocent lives," Fleischer said.
"This was a deliberate attack on the site, knowing that innocents would be lost in the consequences of the attack," he said, adding that Bush still remained a strong backer of Israel.
With his condemnation, the White House joined European and Arab nations who called the strike irresponsible and denounced the civilian deaths.
The Israeli Embassy responded to the White House criticism with a defense of the targeting of the leader of Hamas' military wing.
"Like the government of the United states, the government of Israel regrets the loss of innocent civilian lives," spokesman Mark Regev said. "However, out military action against one of the most dangerous Hamas terrorist leaders was a justified action of self-defense."
Palestinians vowed revenge as they dug through wreckage from the strike, which obliterated a three-story building and destroyed or badly damaged several adjacent ones.
The attack killed Salah Shehadeh, 48, a founder and the top commander of Hamas' military wing, known as Izzadine el-Qassam, the group said. The group has carried out scores of attacks, including more suicide bombings than any other Palestinian faction in the current Mideast conflict.
"This operation was in my view one of our biggest successes," Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Cabinet ministers. "We hit perhaps the most senior Hamas figure on the operational side," Sharon said of Shehadeh, who was jailed first by Israel, and then by the Palestinians, from 1988 to 1999.
But by firing a powerful missile into a densely packed neighborhood in the middle of the night, civilian casualties were a certainty, Palestinians said.
©2002 Associated Press
Many have suggested that Israel's restraint policy has only been interpreted as weakness and encouraged more attacks. By retaliating in "heavy handed" ways, a message is sent to the Israeli public, the Palestinian public, and to the Arab world. It could play out to the advantage of peace if Palestinians continue to weaken their resolve because of strikes like these.
They lost 23 men fighting in Jenin because of their concern for innocents. They simply cannot justify sacrificing 23 men for every 52 they go after in order to please the Europeans. All of Gaza is a lot like Jenin, dense and dangerous. Israel will have to use many different tactics to win, and this will unfortunately have to be one of them. In the future, perhaps people will not want to live near terrorist ringleaders. And of course the terrorist ringleaders, if they love their wives and children, will not want to be around them knowing a bomb has their name written on it.
For Petes sakes! Israel as portrayed in Revelations is a SPIRITUAL manifestation. Not a physical one! Anyone who follows Christ is part of "Israel"!
If the MidEast stays true to form, those innocent Isreali children would have died regardless...MUD
Remember, there were those here that thought GW would cave in to Arafat because he would not use the word "terrorist" to describe him. Well, I think Mr. Arafat has a pretty good idea now that there will be no US-brokered peace while he remains in power. I think W prefers actions to words and agree with those above who belive he has given the 'full speed ahead' order to Israel, even while calling yesterday's action "heavy-handed."
I think he has changed his philosophy to 'we are going after those who may have helped the terrorists on September 11th and may help them again because they could help them if they want to'.
They have been trying on this dirtbag for over a year, but he hides low and deep. Israel does not do carbombs, but they do F16 bombs just fine.
Dirtbag had a bunker, they had to hammer him harder than if he did not. That is why the ole missle in the window treatment was not used I bet. They hit him hard enough to take out him and his bunker this time. Don't build bunkers in housing districts, you don't get civilians killed. (go figure)
War ain't surgery, and puttin' a li'l FEAR into the opponent's population ain't a necessarily all-bad thing.
FReegards...MUD
No doubt. I just have the feeling that the retaliation this particular hit is going to draw will be much more horrendous than usual.
I recommend we legalize cloning and get a few samples from Ronnie before we lose him. We certainly don't have any leaders on stage that can save us from our doom.
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