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Middle East
Abbas cuts contacts with Hamas, IJ
2003-08-20
The Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, has condemned a suicide bombing in Jerusalem on Tuesday that has killed at least 20 people on a bus and wounded more than 100 people. The militant Palestinian Islamic group Hamas has claimed responsibility for the explosion, but Mr. Abbas urged Israel not to launch any military retaliation, saying this could further harm peace efforts.
"Just hop in the old peace processor with us and don't do anything..."
Mr. Abbas described the bombing as a "horrible act" and condemned it. He expressed his sorrow to the families of the victims of the attack, many of whom were Orthodox Jews, traveling home on the bus after prayers at the Western Wall, a Jewish holy site in Jerusalem's Old City. Mr. Abbas said the bombing did not serve the interests of the Palestinian people and he had instructed his security minister, Mohammad Dahlan, to begin an immediate investigation.
"Sure thing, boss. I'll... uh... get back to you."
He had been meeting with Palestinian militant groups in Gaza when the explosion occurred. Mr. Abbas had been urging them to hold to a three month unilateral truce they had declared in June. Mr. Abbas said he hoped Israel would act "wisely" and refrain from launching any military response, saying that this, in his words, "will not be in the interest of the peace process."
"Peace" is the absence of atrocities like this one. Paleos seem to have a problem understanding that...
Following the blast, Israel announced it was suspending the planned handover of four West Bank cities to Palestinian security control, while it evaluated the security situation. Israel also froze all contacts with the Palestinian Authority. Hamas, a group that frequently carries out suicide bombings, said it was responsible for the bombing. A videotape released by Hamas in the West Bank city of Hebron showed a Palestinian man who identified himself as a Hamas activist. He said he would carry out the suicide bombing to avenge Israel's killing of one the group's members.
"'Cuz we must have Dire Revenge™..."
Earlier, Islamic Jihad, another group that carries out suicide bombings, also claimed responsibility for the attack.
"Yeah. Don't believe that guy. It was us."
Israeli officials said they were investigating the possibility that Hamas and Islamic Jihad had been involved in a joint operation.
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

#15  Get this Abbas guy in the rose garden and thats it , We Win!
Posted by: Lucky   2003-8-20 11:53:09 PM  

#14  "The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday promised to wage an "all out war" against Hamas and Islamic Jihad and appealed to Israelis not to retaliate for Tuesday's homicide bus bombing that killed 20, including five Americans."

He hasnt acted cause nobody's put the squeeze on him to act, as far as I can tell. Now the squeeze is on, and it looks like hes running scared. Time to keep the squeeze on.

Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-8-20 5:25:55 PM  

#13  48 hours, people. Abbas either acts or he doesnt.

He's had months. He hasn't acted.

It's time for him to die.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2003-8-20 4:33:09 PM  

#12  While the IDF is in the neighborhood, they ought to net an bullhead arafish.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-8-20 3:37:23 PM  

#11  From AP: RAMALLAH, West Bank - Israel decided Wednesday to carry out a number of pinpointed strikes against Palestinian terror suspects in response to a Hamas suicide bombing that killed 20 people, a security official said. The strikes will be carried out regardless of whether the Palestinian Authority decides to clamp down on militant groups, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Israeli raids were expected to begin later Wednesday. A column of 13 Israeli tanks was seen lining up Wednesday night outside the West Bank town of Ramallah, Palestinian witnesses said. Israel has said it will not launch a major offensive, as it did last year in response to other suicide bombings. At the time, Israel reoccupied most West Bank towns, and has been moving in and out of these areas repeatedly.
Gonna be a hot time in the old town tonight.
Posted by: Steve   2003-8-20 3:09:01 PM  

#10  I heard the Israeli ambassador to the US on a talk show last night. He estimated that there about 1200 gunnies in Hamas et al. He said that the PA has 10 times that, and that it was an issue of will on the part of the PA. He also mentioned that they had days and weeks to act, not months. FWIW. So how many Israeli kids and adults have to be blown to bits before enough is enough?

/sarcasm EU, use your good offices to stop Hamas /sarcasm

This whole thing just sickens me to the core.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2003-8-20 2:17:09 PM  

#9  Yep, what Simmins sez. I don't think Abbas is on the level as I don't think Paleos are on the level. They want victory, Israel wants peace. Paleos can offer only one thing to the debate and that is peace. But they don't want peace they want victory.
Posted by: Lucky   2003-8-20 1:12:07 PM  

#8  48 hours, people. Abbas either acts or he doesnt.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-8-20 1:07:10 PM  

#7  Ooooooh, Mazen "cut contacts" with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. What's gonna happen if another bus gets bombed - will Mazen hold his breath until he turns blue?
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2003-8-20 11:41:17 AM  

#6  I think Abbas is on the level. It's just that he doesn't have the power to do anything about it so, in the long run, it doesn't matter.
Posted by: Secret Master   2003-8-20 11:30:15 AM  

#5  I have changed my mind about the prospects for peace.

On June 11, I blogged
Realism has to enter this situation at some point in order for there to be a solution. Two immovable objects need to be recognized. Israel will exist. Palestine will exist. The rest flows from there...

A Palestinian leader must be found, terrorist or not, who finds his own self interest and that of his people in the peace process. There is as much wealth and power in solving this problem as in prolonging it.



I no longer believe that the current Palestinian leadership will come to that point of view. I believe it is a cultural thing. Mullah Omar and Saddam would still be in power if they had cooperated just a little bit. Instead, both chose to go down, what was for us, clearly suicidal paths that ended their regimes.

The Palestinian leadership clearly believes that it will continue to grow rich and prosper by continuing the intifada. And, the actions of the intifada will result in changes in the region entirely favorable to the Palestinians. That, to our thinking, is clearly not going to happen.
Posted by: Chuck Simmins   2003-8-20 11:21:26 AM  

#4  The"Silent tretment"yeah thats the ticket,that fix the problem.
Bull,kill'em all!
Posted by: raptor   2003-8-20 8:40:02 AM  

#3  How do the Israelis stand this? The only peace the Islamists recognize is the peace of submitting to their interpretation of the will of Allah- may bees pee upon him.

Iowahawk, a commenter on LGF said it well- "(Islam) is a religion of mass psychosis."
Posted by: Craig   2003-8-20 8:31:55 AM  

#2  I think this was the first suicide bombing done by an actual Islamic cleric. The religion of peace has another first.
Posted by: mhw   2003-8-20 8:19:18 AM  

#1  Oh. my. what. a. brave. man. he. is.

I don't want him to cut contacts, I want him to whack enough of them that the rest listen to sense. And if he can't, the Israelis have to do it.
Posted by: Steve White   2003-8-20 12:18:25 AM  

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