'Palestinian' Civil War Watch: Assassinations and early elections
'Gunmen' fired on the convoy of 'Palestinian Interior Minister' Said Siyam today in Gaza. There were no injuries. Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Abu Hilal dismissed the shooting as a 'random attack' and denied that the target was Siyam. The men, driving in a nearby car, apparently shot at a car in the motorcade, but not at the vehicle carrying Siyam, he said. In other words, they missed. I'm sure it goes on in your hometown all the time.
Siyam is from
Hamas, by the way.
The 'Palestinian Authority' Fatah has identified Hamas as
the killers of its intelligence chief.
Palestinian sources said a PA state security court has accused Hamas operatives of killing Brig. Gen. Mohammed Al Mussa in the northern Gaza Strip. The sources said military prosecutors have drafted an indictment that determined that a Hamas force ambushed Al Mussa in the Palestinian refugee camp of Jabalya on Aug. 6, 2006.
"The suspects have been arrested and will go on trial," a Palestinian source said. "The trial will most likely be held in camera."
The indictment cited nine Hamas operatives. The prosecution said the Hamas members were employed by the new Hamas-aligned force in the Interior Ministry, called the Executive Force.
I'm just totally shocked.
And finally, 'moderate' 'Palestinian President'
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen has decided to call
early elections in the 'Palestinian Authority, having given up on forming a 'unity government' with Hamas.
Abbas, who was speaking at an emergency meeting of the PLO executive committee, did not say when the vote would take place. But aides said the election could be held as early as March.
In response, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh warned on Sunday that early elections would lead to chaos, saying his Hamas-led government opposes "political tyranny."
"One should not violate the affairs of the Palestinian nation with various plans," IRNA quoted Haniyeh as saying. "Since the beginning of taking office, we have felt that some bodies have been daggering us from the back."
So here are my questions: What if Hamas wins again? And will Dhimmi Carter be invited back to supervise the 'elections'?
Alan Johnston did not come cheaply
A report at Maan News based on anonymous sources within the 'Army of Islam' indicates that a
high price was paid for the release of kidnapped
British journalist useful idiot Alan Johnston.
According to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, "the army of Islam will receive five million US dollars and more than one million bullets". The sources added that "a pledge was made by some of the religious leaders, who issued a fatwa announcing that the acquiring of a ransom would be preferable to killing the reporter". The clerics also allegedly received guarantees from the leaders of the Hamas-affiliated Al Qassam Brigades and the leaders of the Army of Islam, who agreed to exchange the reporter for the money.
The anonymous sources confirmed that the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) mediated between the Army of Islam and the Qassam brigades. "The army [Army of Islam] first received the money and the bullets, although the deal also included the release of members of [the Army of Islam], abducted by Hamas, and a pledge from the Hamas movement not to attack 'the army' in the future." The militant group then apparently handed Johnston to clan sheikhs, and then on to former Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.
In statements to journalists, the PRC confirmed the fatwa, but did not speak about any financial ransom.
A spokesman for the PRC said that the deal was that the abductors would be allowed to keep their weapons, and denied any ransom in the deal.
Prominent Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahhar, is reported to have said that the man was released "without any conditions".
Al Quds al Arabi, the London-based newspaper reported that Said Siyam, the former Hamas interior minister had stated that Mumtaz Doghmosh, and three of his comrades, had stood accused of committing the assassination of the late General Jad at-Tayih.
According to Palestinian sources, Doghmush has now received guarantees from Hamas that he will not be taken to court for the crimes it is alleged he has committed. The same sources added that the deal also includes the release of Khattab Al Maqdsi, abducted by Hamas some days ago.
Dismissed Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, however, denied the reports of a deal made to release the BBC reporter.
...
Haniyeh also stated that his government "will not touch the arms of the resistance groups, as long as these weapons are aimed at the correct target… If these weapons are moved in another direction, or to create lawlessness, we will surely pursue those responsible, as we don’t want to return to the former state of disorder."
But this evening, it seems that Hamas has
forgotten that it ever made a deal with the 'Army of Islam' and the Dugmash clan.
... a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip said his movement was determined to disarm the Dughmushes.
"There is a decision by Hamas to confiscate the weapons of all clans and gangs in the Gaza Strip," the official said. "It's only a matter of time before the Dughmush clan is also disarmed."
The Hamas official said the Army of Islam, which is headed by Mumtaz Dughmush, was "nothing but a group of gangsters operating under the cover of Islam." [Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! CiJ]
The group has nothing to do with Islam, he stressed. "When its members kidnapped the British reporter, they demanded $2 million and a plot of land from the Palestinian Authority," he said. "But when Hamas came to power, the gang knew that they would never get anything out of us."
A clan member told The Jerusalem Post that the five-point agreement with Hamas recognized the Army of Islam as "the weapon of mujahideen [holy warriors] against Jews, Crusaders and apostates."
He said the deal also banned Hamas and the Army of Islam from attacking each other and called for solving future disputes peacefully.
"The Army of Islam belongs to all Muslims, and not a particular clan or faction," the clan member said. "We decided to release the journalist so as not to give an excuse to the Crusaders to dispatch international troops to the Gaza Strip."
Another member of the clan said Mumtaz Dughmush decided to release Johnston after he received assurances from Hamas that he and his relatives would not be killed. "We wanted to avoid a bloodbath in the Gaza Strip," he said. "It's forbidden for a Muslim to shed the blood of his Muslim brother."
Mumtaz, his brother Mu'taz and one of his top aides, Ahmed Mathloum, are all wanted by Hamas for involvement in the killing of Hamas operatives over the past two years.
Johnston paid an
equal opportunity visit to 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen today (pictured at top).
Johnston's visit to Ramallah, a day after his release from 114 days in captivity in Gaza, came at the request of senior PA officials, who were unhappy with the fact that the British reporter had given Hamas full credit for his release, the officials said.
They said that PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayad and former Fatah security commander Jibril Rajoub visited the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem on Wednesday night and extended an invitation to Johnston to meet with Abbas.
However, BBC Middle East Bureau Editor Simon Wilson said the idea for the Abbas visit originated with Johnston himself.
"Alan wanted to thank as many people as possible," said Wilson. "There were many Palestinians across the West Bank who worked to secure his release," he said.
In the car on the way out of Gaza, Johnston said that he wanted to thank Abbas, Wilson recalled.
"We [the BBC] asked for a meeting with the president," Wilson said. He added that the British consulate put in a request for the meeting on Thursday morning and it was accepted by the Palestinians.
But give them a
state reichlet and they'll start keeping their word and stop arguing with each other. Then they'll only want to kill Jews....
Deja vu all over again in Gaza - Shalit kidnapper killed
It looks like the IDF has started or is about to start another mass invasion of the Gaza Strip. The Jerusalem Post is claiming that one of the terrorists the IDF killed near Rafah on its way in to Gaza is Ashraf el-Muashar, who was a senior 'operative' in Hamas' 'military wing' and who was active in preparing the
kidnapping of IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit on June 25. The Post describes the story as 'unconfirmed' and the source as a 'Hamas source' of a 'Palestinian news agency.' YNet names the source as the
Ramatan news agency, which apparently does not have a web site. The 'Palestinian' news agency Maan
names Muashar and describes him as "a leading member of the interior ministry's Executive Force in the Rafah area." Ma'an is also reporting that Israeli Minister of Transportation Shaul Mofaz has stated that the Palestinian minister of interior, Said Siyam, should be prevented from returning to the Gaza Strip when he returns from Iran. Siyam will have to enter the Palestinian territories through the Rafah crossing, which is where the IDF is currently operating.
'Moderate Palestinian President'
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen's mouthpiece Nabil Abu Rudeineh warned that "Such an attack will have grave consequences on security and stability in the entire region," He said that the 'Palestinian Authority' has appealed to the United States to intervene with Israel to prevent a large-scale attack in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Hamas has said "let's bring it on." Abu Obaida, the spokesman for Izaddin al-Kassam, said "We are ready willing and able. We have completed our preparations to teach the Zionist enemy a lesson that it will never forget. This attack will become a nightmare that will haunt the Zionists everywhere."
The reason for the IDF's invading Gaza again now is intelligence information that the 'Palestinians' have been stockpiling weapons including
anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles. Hamas denies the charge and says that it is an 'excuse' for the IDF re-entering the Gaza Strip.
Yesterday, the IDF discovered an destroyed two more weapons tunnels in the area. It also sent units into the
Philadelphi corridor for the first time since it surrendered the area to the 'Palestinians' in 2005. HaAretz reports that the IDF will likely
expand the operation in the Philadelphi area:
The operation along the Philadelphi Route took place approximately 1.5 kilometers inside Palestinian territory. Infantry forces from the Givati Brigade entered the area near the Rafah border crossing and began searches for tunnels with the help of specialists from the Bedouin Scout Battalion. The raid was initiated on the basis of Shin Bet intelligence on the presence of tunnels in the area.
Two tunnels were discovered and one of them was destroyed in an explosion carried out by military engineers.
In recent months, 15 tunnels were discovered and destroyed in the Gaza Strip. A number of these tunnels were used for smuggling from Egypt, but others were meant to serve Palestinian militants in carrying out raids inside Israel.
IDF sources said there are plans to broaden the operation in Philadelphi in order to locate more tunnels. The commander of the operation is Colonel Shlomi Dahan, head of the southern regional brigade along the border with the Gaza Strip.
So far the IDF operation near Rafah has met with no Palestinian resistance.
At The Astute Blogger, Reliapundit thinks that the invasion will happen by Monday,
the last day of Ramadamadan.
I think this Gaza incursion - which, like the Lebanese incursion, has the tacit approval of Israel's Arab neighbors (who fear Iran, and its proxies Hizballah and Hamas, more than they fear Israel) - will occur on or around the end of Ramadan - 10/23, exactly as Egypt warmed. And once again, my analysis (and I was the one of only 3 bloggers in the blogsphere to post on it - and one of those linked to me!) was right: IT WAS A DEADLINE FROM ISRAEL. Stay tuned...
Stay tuned indeed. Here come the sleepless nights again....
Carter to meet with Zahar, Siyam
Former US President Dhimmi Carter's magical mystery tour
continues in Cairo this afternoon with a meeting with Hamastan's Prime Minister (and former foreign minister in the 'Palestinian unity government')
Mahmoud al-Zahar (pictured, top left) and former interior minister in the 'Palestinian unity government'
Said Siyam (
Hat Tip: Gateway Pundit).
The Palestinian Prime Minister in the Hamas-run de facto government, Isma'il Haniyeh, was also invited to the meeting, but could not make it to Egypt for what he called "private reasons."
Senior Hamas leader Ayman Taha told Ma'an that the meeting will be held in Cairo on Wednesday evening, and will address the siege of the Gaza Strip and a potential ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian military forces.
Taha said Hamas would not change its position, demanding that any ceasefire include both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, an end of the siege of Gaza and halting Israeli offensives.
"I came here to listen to the Palestinian point of view, and we are interested to convey the image to the whole world," Carter said before the meeting with Hamas leaders.
If the Israeli government had any - you know what - they would target Zahar and Siyam at the Rafah crossing. Unfortunately, we all know that won't happen. I wonder how much
cash Zahar will bring back in his suitcase.
Unfortunately, Carter's trip has done significant damage to Israel because our 'leadership'
couldn't get its act together to make a unified stand against him.
But Israel, being Israel, could not reach a consensus snub, even in the upper echelons. As a result, Carter, the midwife of the Camp David accords and author of Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, got his high-profile meetings with some Israeli leaders, gaining an audience with President Shimon Peres on Sunday and scheduled to meet Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai on Wednesday.
These meetings, according to diplomatic officials, can now be used by Carter against pro-Israel activists in the US trying to marginalize him because of his comparisons between Israel and apartheid South Africa. The concern is that Carter will now accuse his Jewish critics in the US of "hysteria," pointing out that Israel's own president had no problem meeting him.
Officials in Peres's office, meanwhile, were quoted as saying that Peres took Carter to task on Sunday for his book. But at least one participant in the meeting could not recall the nature of that criticism. Peres, in short, didn't exactly rake Carter over the coals. Indeed, the comments from Peres's office about criticism of the former president was cause for some of Carter's handlers to complain - according to Israeli officials - that these statements didn't adequately reflect the spirit of the meeting.
Indeed, the 'Palestinians' have already begun making political capital from their meetings with Carter. This is Hamas' spokesman in Gaza, Ismail Radhwan on al-Jazeera. Let's go to the videotape.
In short, Carter's trip to the region is an unmitigated disaster for Israel, with no one in the government or the Knesset having the - you know what - to stand up and tell Carter that he's persona non grata and should leave. The result of this may be the breaking of the European Union's (and maybe even the United States if there's an Obama presidency God forbid) surprisingly uniform boycott of Hamas over the last two years plus. And that would be really bad news.
Khaled Meshaal and Iran: Willing to fight to the last drop of 'Palestinian' blood
Egyptian officials have told the Jerusalem Post that
Iran is pressuring Hamas not to accept Egypt's 'cease fire' proposal - as if Meshaal needs any such pressure.
The Egyptian official said that the two Iranian emissaries, Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, and Said Jalili of the Iranian Intelligence Service, met in the Syrian capital with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ramadan Shallah.
"As soon as the Iranians heard about the Egyptian cease-fire initiative, they dispatched the two officials to Damascus on an urgent mission to warn the Palestinians against accepting it," the Egyptian government official told the Post.
"The Iranians threatened to stop weapons supplies and funding to the Palestinian factions if they agreed to a cease-fire with Israel. The Iranians want to fight Israel and the US indirectly. They are doing this through Hamas in Palestine and Hizbullah in Lebanon".
...
The Egyptian official accused Iran of "encouraging" Hamas to continue firing rockets at Israel with the hope that this would trigger a war that would divert attention from Iran's nuclear plans.
"This conflict serves the interests of the Iranians," he said. "They are satisfied because the violence in the Gaza Strip has diverted attention from their nuclear ambitions. The Iranians are also hoping to use the Palestinian issue as a 'powerful card' in future talks with the Americans.
"They want to show that they have control over Hamas and many Palestinians".
And it's not just the Iranians: It's the Syrians too.
Karam Jaber, editor of the semi-official Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Youssef magazine, said that Hamas was caught between the Syrian anvil and the Iranian hammer. The Iranians, he said, prevented Hamas from negotiating a cease-fire with Israel, while the Syrians were blackmailing and intimidating the Hamas leaders in Damascus.
"History won't forget to mention that Hamas had inflicted death and destruction on the Palestinians," he said. "We hope that Hamas has learned the lesson and realizes that it has been fighting a war on behalf of others. We hope the Hamas leaders will realize that they are fighting a destructive war on behalf of the Iranians and Syrians".
Ironically, as I started to type this post, Israel Radio - which I have going in the background much of the day - ran a telephone interview with a 'Palestinian' in Gaza who is begging Israel to stop the bombing. Iran and Syria could care less. Khaled Meshaal is happy to keep giving orders to the Hamas leadership in Gaza from his safe house in Damascus. And Ismail Haniyeh, Mahmoud Zahar and Said Siyam - Hamas three leaders in Gaza who are hiding in a bunker underneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza City (how's that for human shields) - are happy to keep sending subordinates to their deaths while they hide out in relative safety (Israel is unlikely to bomb a hospital).
But the key to understanding the situation here is to understand that the Egyptians have been doing the same thing for the last sixty years that the Iranians and Syrians and Meshaal and the three stooges are doing now. As have all the other Arab countries and their leaders. The Egyptians are willing to fight to the last drop of 'Palestinian' blood too - when it suits them.
The 'Palestinians' are not a separate nation. They are from the same nomadic tribes as the Arabs throughout this region. They came to pre-State Palestine to improve their economic lot because the Jews were willing to hire them for decent wages. They left families behind in the Arab countries - nearly every 'Palestinian' still has second and third cousins in the Arab world. Since 1948, when the Arab countries failed in their efforts to drive the Jews out and the Jews formed a State, the Arab countries have held the 'Palestinians' hostage from generation to generation as a thorn in the side of the Jews and in a continuing effort to drive the Jews out of this land.
For those who have not seen it before, I strongly urge you to read
this post that I wrote two and a half years ago. It may still be the most linked post I have ever had on this blog. Here's the bottom line of that post:
In an interview given by Zuhair Mohsen to the Dutch newspaper Trouw in March 1977, Mr. Mohsen explains the origin of the 'Palestinians':
- The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.
- For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan.
That's the truth.
I feel sorry for the 'Palestinians.' I really do. They have been abandoned to their fate by their cousins throughout the Arab world. But I don't feel sorry enough for them to commit suicide to keep their cousins happy. And I never will.
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go to this link and vote for Israel Matzav as the Best Midsize blog in the 2008 Weblog Awards.
Target the leaders
Earlier this evening, 'Palestinian Interior Minister'
Said Siyam of Hamas called on the 'Palestinian forces' to take up arms and repel the 'Israeli attack' on the Gaza Strip:
Siyam, who has nominal control of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian security forces, appealed to all security forces to fulfill their "religious and moral duty to stand up to this aggression and cowardly Zionist invasion."
The response was
not long in coming:
A senior diplomatic source in Jerusalem told Ynet that "anyone who raises a hand on an IDF soldier, or gives the order to do so, has from Israel's perspective turned into a target like the last of the terrorists."
Anyone want to take a guess at how long Siyam has to live? Put your guess in the comment section...
Who wants an invasion of Gaza and why?
Israelis in the 'Gaza envelope' spent the entire weekend under rocket fire from 'Palestinian' terrorists in the Gaza Strip, leading to calls for the IDF to go into Gaza and clean out the vipers' nests. Among those in favor of an IDF action are Likud leader
Binyamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni and the IDF. Among those opposed are Defense Minister Ehud Barak and (apparently) Prime Minister (yes, he's still Prime Minister, unfortunately) Ehud Olmert.
And then there are the Arab countries, who'd really like the heads of Hamas to roll but aren't keen on Israel actually sending in anything to chop them off other than helicopters.
Let's look at what they've been saying and try to figure out why. Here's
Netanyahu:
"For three years, the ministers of Kadima have been burying their heads in the sand," the Likud leader continued. "And that needs to change. In the long term, we have no choice but to topple the Hamas rule in Gaza. But in the short term, we have to go from the politics of pacifism to the politics of active attack."
Well, that makes sense. Netanyahu is trying to position himself as a right wing politician and right wing politicians make bellicose statement. As I've noted several times, I don't believe Netanyahu is a true right-winger and I believe that given the opportunity what he'd really like to do is replace Hhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifamas with Fatah in Gaza. Netanyahu would love to have a war now so that it will be over long before the election. And he's anxious to portray Kadima (and Livni) as being the ones who put us in this position (which is true, of course).
Livni, on the other hand, is looking to strengthen 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President
Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen by weakening Hamas. Livni is likely the number one proponent of a 'Palestinian'
state reichlet in the current government, and is zealously guarding the list of concessions she has already made to Fatah. But she's still seen here as a dove, so it's time for her to
get a little aggressive:
On Sunday, Livni said that if she becomes prime minister, the government will lead a policy that will end Hamas's rule in the Gaza Strip.
Yes, and restore Fatah's rule, as if Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade is not among the Gazan groups shooting rockets at us.
Then there's Ehud Barak, who fled from Lebanon as Prime Minister in 2000, bringing about the 'second intifadeh.' Barak may be known here as a 'bitchonist' (strong on security), but he's in a party where everyone else is way to his left, and he fears that going to war now and incurring casualties is not going to please his leftist base. Not to mention that there's always the risk that in an election campaign, someone else will get the credit. So Barak accuses everyone else of being '
populists.'
"I'm hearing repeated populist statements from those who have never experienced or seen a war, people who are now becoming promoters of 'different politics.' This babbling is costing us lives and may damage the effectiveness of a Gaza operation," Defense Minister and Labor chairman Ehud Barak said at a faction meeting on Monday morning, according to an Army Radio report.
"When these promoters of 'different politics' dealt with war while serving in the government, they demonstrated light-headedness and abandon even in regards to national considerations, at times due to personal motives. The public will eventually need to judge their actions," said Barak.
The defense minister's statements could be interpreted as criticism on Foreign Minister and Kadima chairman Tzipi Livni, whose election campaign focuses on her being a 'different leader.'
The only thing Barak is right about is that the government is talking about this too much. In the words of the Nike commercial, they should "just do it."
The IDF wants to go in to Gaza now because it recognizes that every day that Israel sits aside is a day that the 'Palestinians' build up their weaponry. On Sunday, 'military sources' were quoted here as saying that the IDF was capable of '
conquering Gaza.'
"We have operational plans ranging from conquering the Gaza Strip to pinpoint raids against rocket squads," one officer said. "However, we will ultimately do what we are told to do."
I'm not sure that will happen so long as this government is in power. This government is unlikely to send troops in unless there is an '
exit strategy. ' But the IDF is
itching for a battle.
Officers in the Gaza Division (Ugdat 'Aza) said on the subject that "in the month of November of this year, in the framework of the Tahdiyya agreement, Hamas has launched more rockets than in all of last year, when we were not under this agreement." Those officers were fiercely critical of the Security Apparatus's policy concerning the launching of rockets from the Gaza strip.
At the moment, despite this, they refrained from drawing direct criticism on the policy of the Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak. Thus, for example, a senior officer in the Gaza Division said yesterday in a private conversation: "What's happening today in the Gaza strip is incomprehensible. We must respond."
"Frustration on the Ground Following Indecision"
According to him "Since the Tahdiyya was broken, Tzahal [the IDF. CiJ] hasn't reacted in the depth of the Palestinian territory, save only for defensive attacks against [rocket] launchers. We've arrived at an unprecedented position in which we identify the location of the launchings from the very [Palestinian] houses and don't do anything in response. The tanks don't move. No one takes any decisions."
The senior figure added, furthermore that "What dictates the order of the day is the alarm of [incoming] mortars, shouting to us to enter protected shelters. Our deterrence ability is being eroded and sometimes it's difficult to explain the complicated reality of it to the soldiers."
An additional senior officer in the division said last night the following: "We are rotting in buildings. Standing around and take the hits. I personally feel the frustration in every level from the fact that nobody takes a position. This is the [official] instruction. To sit and get hit [by rockets] and be ready to prevent penetration [of the separation wall, by Palestinian terrorists] on foot or by means of a tunnel.
In his words, "to whom does it seem logical that [in exchange] for 24 rocket attacks into Israel, the IDF will respond with a strike on the launcher? It reminds the officers of 1999-2000, when we sat in the defense posts of Gush Katif and were [primarily] occupied in defending ourselves."
But the most curious piece of this puzzle is the Arab countries. On Thursday, Maariv published an article that claimed that the Arab countries have asked Israel to go in and
remove the Hamas leadership.
A moment before the end of the tahdiyya [lit. "calming"] Israel received a green light from senior Arab officials for the elimination of senior Hamas figures: "If they won't extend the tahdiyya - eliminate them."
Israel recently received messages from senior figures in Arab states encouraging the resumption of targeted eliminations in Gaza. In one of the messages it was even said "Take off their heads", referring to the Hamas leadership in Gaza. The Arab officials referred to the possibility that Hamas will implement its threat[s], won't lengthen the tahdiyya and will enable the resumption of firing Qassam rocks into the Western Negev.
And who are the seniormost targets for elimination? Hamas's organization in Gaza is divided into a Military leadership and Political leadership. Among the leaders of the first type, who are likely to become targets for elimination, are three people: Ahmad Ja'bari, head of Hamas's military wing in Gaza; Ibrahim Ghandour, a senior official in the military wing; and Muhammad Daf, another senior official in the military wing, who has already been injured in a number of IDF removal operations.
Among the characters who compose Hamas's political leadership are Isma'il Haniyyah, Prime Minister of the Palestinian government, Sa'id Siyam, Minister of the Interior in Haniyyah's government, and Mahmoud Az-Zahar, one of the organization's leaders.
An additional individual likely to become another IDF target for elimination is Dr. Jamaal al-Houdari, a member of the Palestinian parliament in Gaza. Houdari claims that he is a humanitarian unaffiliated with Hamas, yet [when discussing him] one is dealing with a Haniyyah confidant involved in a great deal of anti-Israeli propaganda.
Another actor who is apparently opposed to an IDF action is Prime Minister
Ehud K. Olmert. One can only wonder if he fears getting involved in another war after his miserable failure in Lebanon, or he fears that his
moonbat wife Aliza will invoke the
Lysistrata decree on him if he embarks on a military action. Someone ought to tell him that it's his last chance to have any kind of positive legacy from his miserable two and a half years in office.
But I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for Olmert to get that message. Aliza takes precedence.
Iran co-opting Hamas with Syria's help and Egypt's approval; Olmert-Peretz-Livni government silent
DEBKAfile is reporting that Iran, aided by Syria and its 'guest' Khaled Meshaal, has entered into
military accords with Hamas that are designed to bring Hamas up to Hezbullah's military standards and to turn Gaza into a second front for Israel, on a par with Lebanon. Egypt's tacit consent will allow arms to be shipped through Egypt to Gaza. Meanwhile, Ehud Olmert,
Amir Comrade Peretz and Tzippi Livni continue to play their fiddles....
The pacts were signed by Palestinian interior minister Said Siyam (picture) and his Iranian opposite number Mustafa Pour-Mohammadi, a leading light of the Revolutionary Guards.
DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report Tehran has committed to training Hamas’ rapid deployment force of 6,500 men in Hizballah combat tactics, with the accent on missiles, especially the anti-tank variety which were used with devastating effect against Israeli tanks in the Lebanon War. The force will be sent over in batches for six-week courses at Revolutionary Guards installations in southern Iran.
Iran will foot the $60 million bill for the training as well as for the top-notch weaponry.
The Hamas military delegation flew from Cairo to Dubai and on to Tehran. Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and intelligence chief, Gen. Omar Suleiman, were apprised of the Hamas leaders’ trip and the military accords they were to sign, but did nothing to detain the travelers.
This was taken by Hamas and the Iranian government as signaling Cairo’s assent to the Hamas-Iranian transaction, a green light for the trips through Egypt of trainee groups to and from Iran and a continuing blind eye to the delivery of Iranian armaments via Egypt to Gaza.
Egypt is thus assuming the same role In relation to Tehran and its terrorist proxies as does Syria, which places its airfields at Iran’s disposal for delivering arms to Hizballah.
For those who have forgotten, Egypt is the third largest recipient of US foreign aid and has had a peace treaty with Israel since 1979. So much for signing peace treaties with Arab countries....
This development is the direct consequence of this summer’s Lebanon War. It was made possible by Israel’s evacuation of the Gaza Strip in September 2005.
The Gaza maneuver shows Iran’s rulers striking with speed, efficiency and ruthlessness in their determination to isolate the Jewish state and draw a military noose around its borders.
Instead of resistance, they encounter inertia on the part of Israel’s political and military leaders. Prime minister Ehud Olmert has eyes for nothing but broadening the base of his government coalition. He has offered to create for Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the (Russian immigrant) party Israel Beitenu, the new post of Deputy Prime minister for Strategic Threats. Defense minister Amir Peretz thinks it is more important to prepare the armed forces for the evacuation of unauthorized West Bank settlements than for the next war. By the time they find a moment from these preoccupations, they will find Iran, Syria and Hamas have perfected a real strategic threat. By then it will be too late to repel except by a major campaign to recapture the Gaza Strip and crush the Hizballah-style force threatening southern Israel.
Is anyone listening?
Palestinian Civil War Watch or Work Accident?
A car in which Yasser Dahlan, nephew of Fatah 'strongman'
Muhammed Dahlan, was driving with his fiancee and his future mother-in-law
exploded yesterday in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City.
Dahlan, who is considered a confidant of his uncle's, and who worked for the Palestinian Authority staff which oversaw preparations for the surrender and expulsion plan, was injured in the blast, as were his fiancee, mother-in-law and a bystander.
In the wake of this incident, which is assumed not to be a work accident, and another one in which masked Hamas members shot two Fatah members, 'Palestinian Prime Minister' Ismail Haniyeh and 'Interior Minister' Said Siyam postponed their planned visit to the headquarters of Fatah's Preventive Security Service in Gaza City.
The visit was to have taken place today, and was intended to be a conciliatory gesture between Hamas and members of the Fatah-affiliated Preventive Security Service.
Those men who wish to borrow Dahlan's car Just kidding....
The Jerusalem Post is reporting that
Hamas is 'ready to negotiate.' But not with Israel. Instead, Hamas wants to negotiate with the United States! This is what is being wishfully described in the international media as 'moderation' and I am sure that the Europeans will grab onto this straw to show how Hamas is trying to be 'reasonable'....
Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said Monday that his organization was prepared to enter negotiations without preconditions with any international body including the United States, but not with the "Zionist enemy."
Speaking to the London based daily paper Al-Hayat Mashaal added that international authorities had, over the past few days, sent messages to Hamas saying that they would support projects carried out buy the Palestinian Authority, even with a Hamas-controlled PA [The sad thing is that this is probably true. CiJ]
In related news, top Hamas figures Mahmoud Zahar and Saed Siyam rejected on Sunday any possible peace negotiations with Israel.
Speaking in Amman, Jordan before parliament members from all over the Arab world, Zahar said that Israel was an enemy, and thus not a partner for negotiations, Israel Radio reported.
He added that Hamas did not plan to renew the failed diplomatic talks with Israel.
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch Sunday that there cannot be two Palestinian authorities, a "good one" that is represented by Abbas with which the international community wants to continue doing business, and a "bad one" represented by Hamas.
Hamas represents the PA, officials in Olmert's office quoted Olmert as telling Welch. He said that Hamas has a majority in the Palestinian parliament, the prime minister is from Hamas, and the government will be formed by Hamas.
This reminds me of the failed "
Rogers Plan" of the first Nixon Administration, in which US Secretary of State Rogers proposed to have the four powers impose a solution on Israel to get around the Arabs' unwillingness to speak with or recognize the Jewish State. The more things change, the more they stay the same....
German news agency paying 'Palestinians' to riot
The mukhtar (leader) of the mostly 'Palestinian' village of Silwan, just east of Jerusalem's Old City, says that a German news agency
pays 'youths' in his village to riot.
The City of David (Ir David) organization has purchased several properties in Silwan, also known as Shiloach due to the Temple-era spring located in the valley. In addition to the vast archeological and tourist sites currently located there, excavations are ongoing – though they are often disrupted by groups of Arabs and left-wing Jews who have claimed that they are disturbing the lives of local Arabs.
Hussein Siyam, the Mukhtar of Silwan, is the tribal leader of the two largest clans in the valley to the east of Jerusalem’s Old City. He says that he has been involved in negotiations with Ir David since the beginning. “Anyone who tells you that there is new digging going on below the houses is lying,” he said. “The dig existed already and they are just cleaning it out.”
He blames two entities for the disturbances. “The Committee for the Protection of Property in Silwan is a group that gets money from Arab states and the Palestinian Authority,” said. “And so, it is interested in spending that money on conflict.”
The second source is more nefarious. “A German news company recruits activists here and gives them money to make problems in order to report on them,” he claimed.
Read the whole thing.
