March 23, 2004
TARGET ACQUISITION:
Hardliner Rantissi named new Hamas chief for Gaza Strip (Amos Harel, Arnon Regular and Uri Ash, 3/23/04, Haaretz)
Abdel Aziz Rantisi on Tuesday became the new "general commander" of Hamas replacing slain Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by Israel on Monday.Immediately after claiming the mantle at the packed Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza, where thousands - including Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia - gathered to pay condolences to the Hamas leadership, the 57-year-old Rantisi went underground, fearing an Israeli attempt on his life.
He should be hiding, because he's a dead man. Before Israel unilaterally creates a state of Palestine it has to kill as many of these guys as it can, because once there is a state such attacks would be acts of war. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 23, 2004 3:59 PM
It's Hamas season in Gaza. No bag limit, and any ammunition from .223 Remington up to 120mm "super size" deer slugs and Hellfire missiles is legal.
Posted by: Mike Morley at March 23, 2004 4:16 PMGee, a hardliner. Does that mean that Israeli civilians are in danger now?
Posted by: ed at March 23, 2004 4:58 PMGee, a hardliner. Does his appointment mean that Israeli civilians are in danger now?
Posted by: ed at March 23, 2004 5:00 PMEd: Only because Sharon -- blind, silly Ariel Sharon -- failed to grasp the obvious conclusion of a decade of targeted and murdered Israeli civilians: That all Hamas needs is love, sweet love. Why, I'm sure every one of those charming Manhattan cocktail party bon vivants would put down their Malotov cocktails, dynamite belts, and AKs, and sing Kumbaya with the suddenly dovish Sharon.
Posted by: Chris at March 23, 2004 5:51 PMPaint a bullseye on him.
Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at March 23, 2004 6:13 PMPardon the Trek Quote paraphrase, but if it comes to war, the Israelis will clean their chronometers.
So what if it's an act of war? they'll lose sympathy from an international community that just wishes they'd go away? They'd have to face random and persistent acts of violence on their civilians by terrorists? They probably will make Arafat's camel a widow before this is over, and take out a few more, but if they dont get 'em all.. so what? Either they'll kill each other or get 'em later, as they have nothing to lose by going to war.
The Palestineans are about to go the way of the Native American tribes. the difference being that the Pals have it coming.
Posted by: MarkD at March 23, 2004 7:21 PMI'm not sure if Sharon intended this to happen, but using a Hellfire missile on Yassin at the same time the US is talking about whether the Clinton administration should have Hellfired OBL was brilliant.
Posted by: at March 23, 2004 9:33 PMIsrael fragging some Hamas leader after Israel pulls out won't be an act of war, because Hamas will have already committed one against Israel. Does anyone believe that Hamas will go even a week without providing a casus belli? The best theory I've seen is that Sharon did this precisely to so stoke up the Palestinians that he'd have all the excuses he wants to keep going after Hamas after the pull out.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at March 24, 2004 1:48 AMAOG:
As the terrorists won't be under the government's control an attack in response will indeed be an act of war. Israel is going to need to be patient and withstand a couple years of violence while a viable state emerges. That's why they're killing guys now.
Posted by: oj at March 24, 2004 8:44 AMThey tried to get Rantisi a year or year and a half ago but escaped with minor injuries. Better luck next time Guys.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at March 24, 2004 11:43 PM"As the terrorists won't be under the government's control an attack in response will indeed be an act of war. "
Not so. When the Mexicans said "sorry, we can't keep Pancho Villa from crossing your border and killing people" we sent Patton into Mexico to get him. (Never got him, but we did wreck his organization.) Governments are expected to prevent people with guns from attacking their neighbors, and "whoops, wasn't us" doesn't cut it.
Posted by: Ralph Phhelan at March 25, 2004 9:43 AM