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Hamas Eyes New Host Country
Damascus, 4 Nov. (AKI) - Militant group Hamas has reportedly asked Egypt and Jordan if either would be prepared to host the organisation's headquarters, Tel-Aviv based daily Haaretz reported on Friday. Hamas fears that Syria - where it and rival Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad's political leadership are currently based - may force the groups to leave, in an effort to ease international pressure on Damascus involving an ongoing UN probe into the murder of former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri. Both Egypt and Jordan have refused Hamas' request, according to Haaretz.
"Ummm, No"
Syria's current crisis is affecting relations between the political leadership of Hamas - classified a terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union - and its operatives in the territories, who receive instructions and money from the group's headquarters. In recent months, the Damascus offices have changed their modus operandi to lower the profile of their relationship with operatives in the West Bank and Gaza.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad now just set guidelines, such as the general timetable for an attack or the general area where it should it take place, Haaretz said. This makes it more difficult to trace contacts between bombers and headquarters in Damascus, and distances the Syrian government from accusations of direct involvement in terrorism. It also makes it harder for Israeli intelligence to obtain advance warning of an attack. Hamas's relative restraint in the past week, despite Israel's slaying of one of its operatives, Fawzi al-Qara, is a sign of Syria's desire to avoid escalation right now, Haaretz said.

Hamas was headquartered in Jordan until 1999, when King Abdullah expelled several senior organisation officials from the country, who were relocated to Syria and Qatar. Egypt maintains close ties with Hamas, partly to maintain its role as chief mediator between the Palestinian Authority and Islamic organisations.
Posted by: Steve 2005-11-04
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=134061