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Israel-Palestine
Israeli Officials ID Possible Hamas Leader ( a.k.a.: Next! )
2004-04-26
Israeli military officials said Monday they believe Mahmoud Zahar, a surgeon and prominent Hamas hard-liner, is the new leader of the Islamic militant group in the Gaza Strip.
Or as he is now known in Israeli milltary circles: NEXT!
Hamas denied the Israeli claims regarding NEXT! Zahar, calling it a ploy to get information about the group’s murky leadership structure.
COOL!
All three major Israeli newspapers on Monday identified NEXT! Zahar, who had been Rantisi’s deputy, as the new leader. Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, told the Yediot Ahronot daily that the new leader had inherited the post "automatically" and reluctantly accepted.
No Shit Sherlock
Yaalon also signaled Israel would avoid attacking him as long as the group remains quiet. "He doesn’t want it, and he is apparently avoiding making decisions, and he is apparently avoiding terrorism," Yaalon said. "Anyone who doesn’t use terrorism against us, we do not deal with."
We got ’m right where we want ’m
Yaalon did not identify the Hamas leader, but military officials said he was referring to Zahar. The officials noted, however, that it is impossible to identify the leader with 100 percent certainty because of Hamas’ fluid
Not a term that I would use
leadership structure. NEXT! Zahar, 53, the former personal physician of Yassin, is considered a hard-liner in Hamas. He rejects not only any settlement with Israel, but has also opposes compromise with Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority. He has escaped two Israeli assassination attempts,
third time lucky
mostly recently a September attack that killed his eldest son and a bodyguard. The next NEXT! Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent Hamas spokesman in Gaza, accused Israel of trying to trick Hamas into divulging sensitive information. "This is a clear blow
Clear blow?
that the Israeli Zionist enemy is attempting to find information and to make us say yes or no," he said in an interview on a Hamas Web site. "Mentioning names by the Israeli enemy shows that they are preparing new aggression on Hamas."
Sorry mate, even without mentioning names Israel is preparing "new" agression on Hamas, get used to it.
Posted by:chinditz

#6  In about 5 years it's going to be like the White Russians in Paris trying to figure out who's the tsar.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-04-26 4:33:57 PM  

#5  so just take em all out - you are bound to hit the right one.

Yep. In order to coordinate smoothly, there has to be leaders. Without leadership, well.....
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-04-26 3:37:50 PM  

#4  Actually, who cares who the "leader" is. After all, Israel's declared that if there's any trouble, Zahar gets it. Right in the kisser. If he's the leader, he'll think twice about attacking. If he's not, he'll work on his "influencing up" skills!
Posted by: PlanetDan   2004-04-26 2:43:31 PM  

#3  a ploy to get information about the group’s murky leadership structure

LOL!

Israel: We think it's Zahar
Hamas: HAHAHAHA! YOU IDIOTS! NO IT'S NOT! IT'S ......D'OH!
Israel: Damn. We almost had 'em.
Posted by: PlanetDan   2004-04-26 2:34:47 PM  

#2  Zahar, 53, the former personal physician of Yassin

Since the #1 patient is gone, then there is no use for. . .
Posted by: Anonymous4052   2004-04-26 2:30:25 PM  

#1  so just take em all out - you are bound to hit the right one.
Posted by: Dan   2004-04-26 2:26:41 PM  

00:00