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Olmert vows 'iron fist' against terror
After the recent surge in terror attacks, acting prime minister Ehud Olmert has instructed Israel's defense forces to take all possible measures "with an iron fist and with no restrictions" in Israel's ongoing battle against terrorist organizations. After emerging on Thursday from a breakfast meeting with President Moshe Katsav that went more than half an hour beyond schedule, Olmert reiterated several times to reporters that Israel will do everything in its power to prevent the penetration of international terrorist forces and to halt the activities of terrorist elements in the region. "We are escalating our war against terrorism," he said. "There are no limits to the measures that our defense forces will take to prevent any outbreak of terrorism in any place. We will use all the means at our disposal to stop terrorists from harming the citizens of Israel. We will do everything that has to be done without hesitation." There is not a day, said Olmert, in which the defense forces are not engaged in nipping terrorism in the bud. This includes preventing the activation of Kassam rockets. Asked whether he thought that there would be an intensification of terrorist operations related to Israel's upcoming national elections, Olmert replied that there are terrorists who want to influence the outcome of the elections. While Olmert expressed willingness to conduct talks with Palestinians who are genuinely seeking peace, he made it clear that Israel will not talk to a Hamas-led Palestinian government unless it meets three conditions: the cessation of terror and laying down of arms; Hamas amends its covenant and acknowledges Israel's right to exist; and all agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel are honored. Olmert emphasized that there was no chance at this time of a meeting between him and Hamas prime minister designate Ismail Haniyeh. "I will not meet with Ismail Haniyeh," he said, "but I will continue to fight any terror organization with which he is involved." While observers from many countries commended the democratic manner in which the recent elections to the Palestinian Legislative Assembly were conducted, neither Katsav nor Olmert view these elections as democratic if the central force is a terrorist body. Noting the link between Hamas and the Moslem Brotherhood, Katsav stated: "I'm sure that the Moslem Brotherhood does not advocate democracy, and this poses a danger to world stability." Katsav who has met in recent days with Labor leader Amir Peretz, Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu, Shas leader Eli Yishai and former Shinui leader Tommy Lapid, said that there is consensus among all of Israel's political parties that there will be no talks with a Hamas-led government unless it modifies its covenant and recognizes Israel's right to exist. Posted by: ryuge 2006-03-02 |
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