Posted on 06/13/2003 1:16:48 PM PDT by yonif
International Terrorist Organization
The US called Hamas an international terrorist organization in 1995, 1996, and 2001.
"HAMAS is a militant offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood.a terrorist organization that espouses an extremist Islamic fundamentalist ideology, calling for the total destruction of the State of Israel. " www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/po841.htm
Hamas' founding covenant calls for jihad to "obliterate Israel" and to "raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine" and over "any land the Moslems conquered by force" in "the times of Islamic conquests." (Preamble, and Article 11) See the Covenant at www.mideastweb.org/hamas.htm )
Hamas militantly opposes all peace proposals that include a two-state solution and escalates its terrorist activity when peace negotiations make headway. Hamas denies the right of any Arab country or even of all the worlds kings and presidents to "give up even part of Palestine." (Article 11)
It rejected Oslo and Camp David, called the Road Map "a US-Zionist conspiracy against the Palestinian people." On June 5, Hamas declared: "We will never be ready to lay down arms until the liberation of the last centimeter of the land of Palestine," Washington Times at http://dynamic.washtimes/com/print_story.cfm?StoryID=20030604-104142-8458r(www.ict.org.il/articles/articledet.cfm?articleid=485 www.idf.il/english/announcements/2003/june10a.stm) www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/2705/pt-yasininterview.html
After the Oslo Accords, it escalated its terrorism, dispatching 41 suicide bombers against Israelis between 1993 and September 2000. www.idf.il/english/announcements/2003/june10a.stm)
Hamas dispatched 72 suicide bombers, killing 223 Israelis and wounding 1393 after Camp David (September 2000) until May 19, 2003.. (www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/2705/pt-yasininterview.html) www.idf.il/english/announcements/2003/june10a.stm)
Hamas terrorist threats and actions mounted during and after the Aqaba Summit. In the four weeks before and after the Summit, Israel caught 20 suicide terrorists. In the four days after the Summit, Hamas terrorists claimed seven Israeli lives. Israel reported there were 53 active terrorist alerts on June 11, 2003-hours before the attempted assassination of Rantisi. (www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=4458)
Hamas refused to accept the truce advocated by PA Prime Minister Abbas. "We call on all military cells to act immediately and act like an earthquake to blow up the Zionist entity and tear it to pieces." Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, Hamas co-founder, June 12, 2003. (http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=414963)
Neither Yassir Arafat nor Prime Minister Abbas tried to dismantle Hamas
Arafat "never took real steps to disrupt the militants' command centers, shut down their bomb factories, or prosecute the leaders.. (www.ict.org.il/articles/articledet.cfm?articleid=422.)
PA Prime Minister Abbas tried to get Hamas to sign a truce, not to disarm. Hamas rejected the truce on Friday, June 6, two days after the Aqaba Summit and five days before Israel attempted to assassinate Rantisi. (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=540&u=/ap/2003061./israel_pale stinians
Hamas Called for Jihad against the West in the US War Against Iraq. "Jihad will be the personal obligation of every Muslim man and woman, and there will be no alternative to Muslims threatening the interests of the hostile Americans and Westerners and striking at them everywhere." Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin Feb 8, 2003 at (http://memri.org/bin/opnener.cgi?Page=archives&ID=SP47903)
Hamas gets its funding from international sources, much of it through Hamas' charity organizations. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the Gulf States contribute, as do Islamic organizations in the Middle East and the West. The Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, in Texas, raised over $13 million in 2000, much of it for Hamas. www.ict.org.il/inter_ter/orgdet.cfm?orgid=13 and www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/po841.htm)
Hamas welfare activities are closely tied to Hamas' terror cells. The FBI reported that "frequently (workers) are current or former members of Hamas terror cells. Hamas is known to use its hospitals.as meeting places, to bury caches of arms and explosives under its own kindergarten playgrounds.." "Holy Land Foundation funds are used for schools that serve Hamas ends by encouraging children to become suicide bombers and to recruit suicide bombers by offering support to their families."
(Nov. 2001 FBI Memorandum cited in Matthew Levitt, "Hamas Blood Money," at www.ict.org.il/articles/articledet.cfm?articleid=481) (US Office of Public Affairs Press Release, December 4, 2001 www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/po841.htm)
The recent escalation in Hamas rhetoric and action was not caused by Israel's effort to assassinate Rantisi.
Hamas' violence and intransigence have been the hallmark of its activities since 1989. As the Aqaba Summit of June 4 2003 approached, Hamas rejected PA Prime Minister Abbas' pleas for at least a temporary truce. Terrorist activities continued before, during and after the Summit.
Prime Minister Abbas did nothing after the murder of four Israeli soldiers on June 8 and appeared unable or unwilling to begin disarming militants or taking a firm hand against incitement. Attacks against Israel and threats of terror attacks against Israel mounted.
Hamas' Attitude Toward Jews: The "Jews "were behind the French Revolution, the Communist revolution and most of the revolutions we heard and hear about.They were behind World War I and were able to destroy the Islamic Caliphate.and they were behind World War II." (Article 22) "The Zionist plan is limitless..Their plan is embodied in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion." (Article 32)
Ping. Information on Hamas. FYI.
The true believers in Hamas need to be dealt with the same way one deals with cockroaches in a kitchen, but with one difference. As it gets clear that Hamas is being exterminated, some of them (unlike cockroaches) may realize that a change of plans is in order. But we are a long way from there.
Congressman Billybob
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