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Rantissi helizapped
Newflash - Rantissi’s car hit in a missile attack, presumably an Israeli operation... Taken to hospital... NBC says he was in the car, three people killed, but Rantissi only injured... Other reports say he's a deader... Israelis say he was killed, Paleos that he was critically injured... Paleo docs say clinically dead, but undergoing surgery...

MSNBC still hasn't connected the Erez Crossing boom today with Rantissi's departure from the gene pool... Fox News is missing the story entirely — they found the murdered girl's body in Michigan...

Reuters has it up, and even made the cause -> effect connection...
Three Palestinians were killed when Israeli helicopters fired two missiles at their car in Gaza City, witnesses said. The Israeli air strike occurred hours after an Israeli border policeman was killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber at the Erez order crossing on the Israeli-Gaza border. The identities of the men killed in the Gaza strike were not immediately known. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army.

Israeli Radio...
Reports Rantissi doorknob dead... Fox News has the car swarm up... Fox News confirms he's a deader... I'll be uluating for the rest of the day...

AP story's up...
Israel blew up Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi's car in Gaza City on Saturday, Israeli security sources said. Hamas said Rantisi was seriously injured in the attack and two other passengers in the car were killed. Israeli security sources, which had earlier reported Rantisi was killed, also said he was seriously wounded. After the explosion, Israeli helicopters were heard in the area. A burned, destroyed car was left on the road near Rantisi's house, and one badly burned body was removed from the car by paramedics. Witnesses said there were three people in the car at the time of the explosion. Palestinians ran into the street and called for revenge™.

Rantisi is Hamas top leader in Gaza and one of the most hard-line members of the militant movement who rejects all compromise with Israel and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. Israel had previously tried to kill Rantisi in a helicopter strike on his car June 10. In a retaliatory attack the next day, 16 Israelis were killed in a Hamas suicide bombing in Jerusalem. The explosion happened Saturday evening a block from Rantisi's house in the Sheik Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, about 100 yards from where Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin was buried after Israel assassinated him last month. Since then, Israel has vowed to kill the entire leadership of the Islamic militant organization.

Get ready for swarms, seething and blood curdling photos.

Doorknob dead... Worm food... Naught but a fond memory and a lingering odor... Titzup and ass down... Departed this vale of tears... Shaking hands with Himmler... Now belongs to the Ages... Handing over boat fare to Chiron... Decomposing... Passed... No longer with us...

Some details from Fox News...
Rantisi's car was hit with missiles Saturday evening on the road outside his home, leaving only the burned, destroyed vehicle. After the explosion, Israeli helicopters were heard in the area.
Didn't hear them before because they were too busy yukking it up over the Erez Crossing boom...
Rantisi was taken to the hospital in critical condition, his body pocked with bloody wounds and blood streaming from where his head and neck used to be. He was taken to emergency surgery but died five minutes after arriving at the hospital.
"What's his pulse?"
"No pulse!"
"What's his blood pressure?"
"No blood pressure!"
"I think we'll have to operate!"
Palestinian officials lashed the Israeli strike. "We condemn in strongest possible terms this Israeli crime of bumping off assassinating Dr. Rantisi. This is state terror, and the Israeli government is fully responsible for the consequences of this action," Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said.
Feeling terrorized, Saeb? Feels different, being on the receiving end, doesn't it?
The dead included Akram Nassar, 35, Rantisi's personal bodyguard and his spawn son Mohammed, 27, hospital officials said. Rantisi's wife was in the car, but her condition and location was not known, hospital sources and Hamas said.
Have they looked in the back seat?
About 2,000 seething angry Palestinians marched through the streets carrying pieces of Rantissi Rantisi's car shouting, "revenge™, revenge™." Shooting was heard in the center of Gaza City and people were chanting Rantisi's name. "This blood will not be wasted," said Ismail Haniyeh, who's next in line a Hamas leader at the hospital. "We are not going to give up. But I'm not sure I'm open to taking the position for myself."
... moved to a very small room... never to waltz again... resting his lungs...

Posted by: Lux 2004-04-17
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=30797