President condemns Israeli attack that killed Hamas leader and 14 others

Associated Press / SFGate

[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  

[rintense]

At this point, I don't think Israel gives a crap what the world thinks. They have been given so little support already.

[OldFriend]

Notice how shaken the Israeli's are at this criticism......they continued their hunt and got a few more terrorists today............GO ISRAEL GO

[rintense]

Exactly my point.

[willgetsome]

While Bush gives the standard line to the media about preventing the death of children and condeming Israel for a "heavy-handed" attack, Israel will still get our support and behind closed doors we congratulate them for killing the Hamas leader.

[Corin Stormhands]

"Like the government of the United states, the government of Israel regrets the loss of innocent civilian lives,"

Unlike the Palestinians who only regret the loss of more potential Hamas-cide bombers.

The President has to say this, but I'd bet he'd rather high five the Israelis...

[xzins]

I see you missed the entire first part of the post. And I see you don't understand the construct of the 2nd part.

[Walkingfeather]

Come on !!! There is a total agreement between isreal and america that we must stand up and denounce this.... however you KNOW bush is thinking.... HO HO HO .... nice shootin' Tex. ( A la Ghost busters) Remember PLO only want collateral damage. We will not be leveling sanctions of any kind. I wouldn't doubt we provided technical assistance for this hit. IT WAS A BIGGIE.

[willgetsome]

We and Israel don't need to lower ourselves to the level of the PLO. When we do, we lose all moral authority and our cries of outrage when American or Israeli children die are unjustified.

I think there were several other ways to "wack" this Hamas leader without stirring up so much bad PR.

[xzins]

If we're going to congratulate the Israelis behind closed doors, why can't we find a middle ground between that and condemnation in our PUBLIC statements?

Why can't we just "regret" the loss of civilian lives?

[cynicom]

Bush better wake up and smell the coffee.

[TLBSHOW]

what he needs to comment on is the connection to The Clinton Treasury and the downfall of the stock Market, you know Rubin and his crimes. That is what this President needs to start commenting on. No one else will!

[vance]

We had no problem going after Al Queada in Afghanistan, during which we killed the family of Ayman Al-Zawahiri.

[Theophilus]

Now target the funeral procession.

Message to the alleged Palestinian innocents: "Don't moon the machine gun - Terrorists are pariahs."

[MissAmericanPie]

You are soooo right.

[dubyagee]

His tut-tut is just a sop to the Arabs. He knows they plant killers among the innocent as a matter of course.

He could have just stated that he regretted the loss of innocent lives. He condemned it. IMHO, hipocrisy is involved here. I think highly of Bush, but double-speak will not get us on the road to peace, either.

[Mudboy Slim]

"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.".... 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."

Gotta agree with the Israelis on this one...wonder how many Israeli children's lives were saved by eliminating this inhuman cretin?!

Sorry to hear about the nine (9) innocent young lives that were lost, though...MUD

[Northpaw]

You guys are amazingly sick. If Israel blew up a children's hospital to kill one terrorist, you would cheer. You Israeli sycophants get greasier every day.

[Robear]

If dragging dead children in front of the cameras impresses the media then Israel has a great deal to impress. But really, we know it's only dead Palestinian children who impress. Jews have no value in the media or the EU.

[onedoug]

"...we all kneel before every Sunday."

God gives us free will. And mankind is composed of individuals who make choices. Blanket condemnation is easy, isn't it?

[anapikoros]

I think there were several other ways to "wack" this Hamas leader without stirring up so much bad PR.

Such as?