Israel Targets Hamas Leader After Attack:"Sheik Yassin marked for death...we will eliminate him"

My Way/AP ^ | Jan 16, 2:20 PM (ET) | By MARK LAVIE

[Cinnamon Girl]

Spiritual leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas Sheik Ahmed Yassin smiles as he is pushed in his wheelchair by bodyguards on his way to Friday prayers at a mosque in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 16, 2004. Israel is set to resume targeted killings of top Hamas militants and leveled a blunt warning to the group's elderly spiritual leader that he tops the list of those to be hunted and put to death. The threat comes after a Palestinian suicide attacker blew herself up this week at a crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip, killing four Israelis. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

JERUSALEM (AP) - A senior Israeli official warned that the founder of the Islamic militant group Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, was "marked for death," but he and other officials later said Friday that any decision to kill Yassin would need approval from the prime minister.

Yassin, a quadriplegic, appeared in public on Friday and scoffed at the official's warnings. "We do not fear the threat of death," said Yassin, wrapped in a brown blanket as an assistant pushed his wheelchair to a Gaza City mosque.

Israeli security officials met earlier this week at the Defense Ministry to weigh a response to Wednesday's Hamas bombing in Gaza, in which a female suicide attacker killed four Israeli soldiers. One Israeli official said targeted killings of senior Hamas members are likely to resume, after a lull of several months.

Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim went even further, naming Yassin as a target for assassination. But he later softened his comments, saying no specific decision was made at Wednesday's meeting to kill Yassin.

Israel has assassinated a number of Hamas commanders - but killing the Islamic movement's spritual leader, respected even by many Palestinians who do not support Hamas, would be a dramatic escalation and likely provoke revenge bombings.

Since the peace process began, Israel has refrained from targeting the very top of the Palestinian leadership. It has threatened to "remove" Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, a wording that suggested it would either exile or kill him. But it has refrained from doing either, in part because of U.S. opposition, and has instead kept Arafat isolated in his Ramallah offices.

Yassin spoke to reporters outside the mosque, saying, "We will not bow to pressure and resistance will continue until the occupation is destroyed."

He said he was not personally involved in planning attacks, denying allegations by Israeli security officials that he had approved Wednesday's bombing in which a female suicide bomber killed four Israelis at the Erez crossing into Israel.

Israeli officials also said Yassin issued a religious ruling allowing women to become bombers, after Hamas initially recruited only male assailants.

In Washington, the State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher, said Israel had a right to defend itself but also should consider the consequences of its actions. He also criticized Hamas and other groups for violent acts.

The European Union said killing Yassin would be "counterproductive."

"The European Union has called on Israel and the Palestinians to abstain from any unilateral actions that make it more difficult to implement the road map," said EU spokesman Diego Ojeda.

Late Thursday, after the security meeting at Israel's Defense Ministry the previous day, Boim said Yassin is a key target.

"Sheik Yassin is marked for death, and he should hide himself deep underground where he won't know the difference between day and night. And we will find him in the tunnels, and we will eliminate him," Boim told Israel Army Radio.

Israeli officials have said in the past they would go after Hamas leaders in retaliation for deadly bombings, but Boim's comment marked the first time a senior official spoke in public about a particular militant being targeted.

Contacted later, Boim softened his comments, saying he had spoken generally and that at Wednesday's meeting at the Defense Ministry, no specific decision was made to kill Yassin.

Several security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said Yassin was not singled out in the discussions at the Defense Ministry. Killing the Hamas founder would require approval by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the officials said.

Asked about the possibility of targeting Yassin, Sharon's senior adviser, Raanan Gissin, said, "We never comment on specific cases."

Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi said an attack on Yassin would boost support for militants among the Palestinians. "It doesn't take much brains to know that assassinating the political leadership of Hamas will have serious implications locally and regionally," she said.

Yassin, who founded Hamas in 1987 and spent several years in Israeli prisons, already dodged one Israeli attempt to kill him in September. A warplane dropped a 550-pound bomb on a building where he and other Hamas leaders were meeting, but Yassin escaped with just a small wound to his hand. Yassin's paralysis dates back to a sporting accident when he was 12 years old.

In the summer, Israel also launched several high-profile attacks on other Palestinian leaders, killing Ismail Abu Shanab, considered a relative pragmatist in the group. Two others, Abdel Aziz Rantisi and Mahmoud Zahar, narrowly escaped missile strikes.

Toward the end of the summer, Israel scaled back its attacks in concert with a significant drop in Hamas bombings.

Hamas leaders, though often in hiding to avoid Israeli strikes, kept up their militant pronouncements and rebuffed efforts by Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and Egyptian mediators to declare a halt to attacks against Israelis. Yassin reiterated Friday that Hamas would not agree to a cease-fire.

The suicide bombing Wednesday ended the "so-called quiet period," said the Israeli air force commander, Maj. Gen. Dan Halutz.

Without giving details, Halutz said the air force and military intelligence have developed "pinpoint" methods to "hit only those who deserve it." Dozens of bystanders have been killed in airstrikes in towns, cities and refugee camps.

Israel has a long history of hunting down Palestinians held responsible for attacks on Israelis. In the 1970s and 1980s, Israeli agents tracked down and killed members of Black September, the Palestinian terror group responsible for the bloody hostage-taking of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. In 1988, at the start of the first Palestinian uprising, Israeli commandos killed PLO military chief Khalil al-Wazir.

Since the outbreak of the latest fighting in September 2000, Israel has killed more than 140 suspected militants in targeted attacks, according to Palestinian medical officials. More than 110 bystanders have also been killed.

[Cinnamon Girl]

"LOOK AT ME. I'M JUST A HARMLESS, ELDERLY VERMIN IN A WHEELCHAIR."

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Stand by for Bush and Colon Bowel to curse Israel for having the horrible nerve to make such a terrible declaration. They'll cry that this doesn't help the peace process.

[Professional Engineer]

Without giving details, Halutz said the air force and military intelligence have developed "pinpoint" methods to "hit only those who deserve it."

Heh Heh Heh

[wardaddy]

Would someone please kill that bastard.

His garb alone sullies Capuscans worldwide.

[b4its2late]

Dead man walking wheeling.....

[b4its2late]

He actually is doing a wheely BTW....

[SF Republican]

Yassin, a quadriplegic it looks in the photo like even though he is sitting in a wheelchair his foot in on the pavement like he is walking the wheelchair along.

[KantianBurke]

lol! what a sick scumbag. Looks like Sauruman from LOTR

[USF]

And when Israel is done with the swine Ahmed Yassin, perhaps it will finally be time to turn Arafat into pig feed as well.

[BushisTheMan]

Israel has assassinated a number of Hamas commanders - but killing the Islamic movement's spritual leader, respected even by many Palestinians who do not support Hamas, would be a dramatic escalation and likely provoke revenge bombings.

Excuse me? What were the other bombings then? Non-revenge bombings?

[Cinnamon Girl]

[astounded]

""We do not fear the threat of death," said Yassin, wrapped in a brown blanket as an assistant pushed his wheelchair to a Gaza City mosque."

If so, yassin, why is it that you have a platoon of bodyguards and you stay in hiding? Methinks you, osama bin laden, "mullet" omar, and the rest of the muslim "martyrs" are really cowardly puss*** who can only murder unarmed women and children. If you "welcome death", to use a phrase popularized by bin laden, why don't you strap on an explosive vest and go on over to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv? You won't, because you and the rest of the muslim "leaders" are a bunch of nancy boys. Go to He**.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi said an attack on Yassin would boost support for militants among the Palestinians. "It doesn't take much brains to know that assassinating the political leadership of Hamas will have serious implications locally and regionally," she said.

[sleavelessinseattle]

I have a suggestion for his Funerary Service!

Mind you, I'd rather eat 3rd generation mad cow meat than ingest such concentrated evil.

[dc-zoo]

Doesn't fear death? That's because he's already dead and he knows it.

[goldstategop]

Richard Boucher is a world class idiot and the Eurotrash haven't been blown up by a homocide bomber yet. Why would both of them defend someone who thinks women and children are bombs designed to blow up innocent people? "Weighing the consequences carefully and "counterproductive," my ass. They're full of smoke.

[USF]

Excuse me? What were the other bombings then? Non-revenge bombings?

Quite frankly... I dont see what the fuss is about here. The Palis want to die for Allah, become brave shaheeds (in the belief that they get to claim their 72 houris) and the Israels are happy to accomodate the suicidal morons. The pedophile worshippers should be happy.

[RoughDobermann]

Bad Cinnamon Girl!

[kingu]

Mind you, I'd rather eat 3rd generation mad cow meat than ingest such concentrated evil.

Eat California cows, the commercials tell us that they're all happy. ('course, those are California cheese commercials...)

[TheSpottedOwl]

JERUSALEM (AP) - A senior Israeli official warned that the founder of the Islamic militant group Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, was "marked for death," but he and other officials later said Friday that any decision to kill Yassin would need approval from the prime minister.

Yassin, a quadriplegic, appeared in public on Friday and scoffed at the official's warnings. "We do not fear the threat of death," said Yassin, wrapped in a brown blanket as an assistant pushed his wheelchair to a Gaza City mosque.

Grinning devil. At least they have finally found another use for women...

Noticed you all weren't pinged yet.....so "ping"!