Arafat next?

[angels4u]

Hanegbi: Rantisi's time will come too

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Margot Dudkevitch Mar. 22, 2004

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"PA Chairman Yasser Arafat is not immune; no one is immune anymore. We should stop apologizing for defending ourselves," Internal Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi said Monday night in a statement on the assassination of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

"The time came for someone to close accounts with him [Yassin]," Hanegbi added. [Hamas political leader Abdel Aziz] Rantisi's time will also come," he warned. Rantisi survived an IAF targted killing last year.

Speaking on Channel One's Politika program, Hanegbi turned to viewers, saying, "Israelis watching us now know that, perhaps too late, but nevertheless, the founder of Hamas has been destroyed. He was the main inciter against Israel."

Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin stood alongside the worst of Israel's enemies throughout history, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told a meeting of Likud Ministers Monday, several hours after the IAF fired three missiles at the Hamas leader's car, killing him and seven others instantly.

"The state of Israel today hit the first and foremost head of Palestinian terrorism. The essence of his ideological basis was the murder of Jews and the destruction of Israel," Sharon said.

"The war on terror is not over, and will take place every day and in every place. This is a difficult campaign in which all nations of the

free world understand that they must play a part. It is the natural right of the Jewish nation, as it is the right of any peoples, to hunt down those who wish to exterminate them," Sharon added.

Sharon said the assassination was completely justified and hinted that other Palestinian terrorist leaders would be targeted before he begins implementing his unilateral disengagement plan. The prime minister said he personally called the chief of staff, the commander of the air force and the head of the shin bet to

congratulate them on the attack.

Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter opposed the assassination, and warned that Hamas would attack Isareli interests abroad, as well as targets close to Yassin's heart - a top Israeli religious leader, Channel 10 reported.

Channel 2 reported Monday night that while the Defense establishment favored the plan, Shin Bet head Avi Dichter expressed reservations at the security cabinet meeting, fearful of the Palestinian reaction and worried that the cost of the action would outweigh its benefits.

Channel 1, however, reported that Dichter was only opposed to the timing, and wanted Israel to act against all the Hamas leaders at once, since the targeted killing of Yassin alone would send all the others so far into hiding that it would be difficult to target them in the future.

Although American officials were not told about the assassination is advance, Sharon told the MKs that American officials were aware that significant steps against terror were on the horizon, which would be taken before Israel withdraws from Gaza Strip settlements.

"In all meetings with American and other international officials, it was made clear that specifically because we intend to take far-reaching [diplomatic] steps, our actions against terror would become more severe," Sharon said.

Yassin was killed in an Israeli missile attack shortly before dawn as he left a Gaza mosque after morning prayers. According to initial reports three of Yassin's bodyguards were killed and 17 people were wounded in the attack, including two of Yassin's sons.

"His wheelchair was twisted. Two or three people were lying next to him on the ground. One was legless," said taxi driver Yousef Haddad, who had rushed out of a nearby grocery when the missiles shook the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City.

Sharon revealed to the faction that the assassination of Yassin was in fact scheduled for Sunday, but was delayed to limit civilian casualties. Likud officials noted that had the attack taken place on Sunday, it would have been interpreted as a gesture to Likud ministers who met Sharon that day.

"Osama bin-Laden of the Palestinian people"

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz called Yassin "the Osama bin-Laden of the Palestinian people" and said "his hands were drenched in the blood of Israeli children."

Mofaz, who met with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee several hours after the killing, acknowledged that Israel may face a "wave of terror" in reprisal for the killing over the next few weeks, but said that "war on Hamas" and anti-terror operations would continue on all levels.

According to Mofaz, Yassin gave the orders for hundreds of murders by terrorists and suicide bombers and there is "no doubt" that he would have continued to send them to Israel if he had not been killed. He said he believed the operation would have a significant impact on the organization.

Mofaz also said it is likely that it will be easier to carry out the unilateral disengagement plan if the "terror groups are weakened."

Over the past 3 1/2 years, the Hamas has, in 425 attacks, killed 377 Israelis and wounded 2076. Hamas perpetrated 52 suicide attacks, in which 288 people were killed and 1646 were wounded.

Mofaz said that taking the decision to assassinate Yassin was motivated most of all by considering the attacks he would have perpetrated in the future.

Yassin, despite death threats, kept a regular routine

Despite Israeli threats against him, Yassin never changed his routine.

Every morning, he would attend pre-dawn prayers at the local mosque in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. On Monday, he did the same, being wheeled to the house of prayer by bodyguards. As he emerged at around 5:30 a.m., three Israeli missiles hit.

A reporter arriving at the scene moments later saw blood and flesh splattered on the walls. Nearby windows were shattered.

Residents rubbed their hands in pieces of gravel mixed with Yassin's blood, a traditional sign of anger and a preparation for taking revenge.

Palestinians fired on Gush Katif settlements shortly after the strike, Israel Radio reported.

Hamas leaders vowed to bring death to every house in Israel. Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades and Islamic Jihad vowed "to wage war, war, war on the sons of Zion" in response. They said a response would come in the next 24 hours.

Hamas spokesman Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantissi warned in response, "the ground will shake in Israel."

"Sharon has opened the gates of hell and nothing will stop us from cutting off his head," Hamas leaders threatened. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh declared, "words cannot describe the emotion and hate inside our hearts."

Hamas also threatened the United States, saying America's backing of Israel made the assassination possible. "All the Muslims of the world will be honored to join in on the retaliation for this crime," Hamas said in a statement.

In the past, Hamas leaders have insisted their struggle is against Israel and that they would not get involved in causes by militant Muslims in other parts of the world. Monday's statement suggested that Hamas might seek outside help in carrying out revenge attacks, since its capabilities have been limited by Israeli military strikes.

Senior IDF official: Assassination to cause short-term increase of terror

A senior IDF intelligence official said that Yassin was personally involved in ordering terror attacks against Israelis in a meeting with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. He also predicted that the assassination would cause a short-term increase in the level of terror.

Security forces would do their best in the next few weeks to "deal with the possibility of a wave of terror," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said, and Israel would continue its policy of operating against all levels of terror, including terrorist activists and leaders.

The operation against the Hamas' leadership, he continued, will have a significant impact on the organization itself. The disengagement plan, for one thing, would be easier to implement if the terror groups are weakened, Mofaz said.

"The world is now rid of one of the world's most heinous terrorists," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Sofer said. Reacting to Yasser Arafat's contention that Israel has killed "a moderate", Sofer said calling Yassin a moderate would be like calling Osama Bin Laden "an al-Qaida moderate."

"He was not a spiritual leader. This term does injustice to the term 'spiritual leader' and an insult to real spiritual leaders. He was a terrorist mastermind," Sofer added.

Full closure on West Bank, Gaza Strip

Shortly after the attack Israel imposed a full closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the latter divided into three parts to prevent passage from one end of the strip to the other.

IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen Moshe Yaalon has convened a special security meeting with top defense officials in anticipation of a Palestinian response, Army Radio reported. The Shin Bet will increase security around Israel's top leaders.

Security officials said the decision to hit Yassin was made by officials following the double suicide bomb attack at Ashdod a week ago where Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave the defense and military establishment the go ahead to act against the terrorist infrastructure and leaders in the Gaza Strip.

Qurei: Air strike 'stupid and dangerous'

PA Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei called the air strike a "stupid and dangerous precedent."

The PA has declared three days of mourning. Schools will be closed for the period.

Flags at Yasser Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah were lowered to half-staff, and the Palestinian Cabinet was to hold an emergency session later Monday. Yassin was Arafat's biggest political rival, but Arafat has always been careful not to confront the Hamas leader openly.

Palestiian Cabinet ministers stood as Arafat recited a Muslim prayer for the dead. Arafat then added, referring to Yassin: "May you join the martyrs and the prophets. To heaven, you martyr."

Earlier Monday, about 2,000 demonstrators gathered outside Arafat's headquarters, screaming for revenge and demanding to speak to the Palestinian leader. Arafat remained inside, apparently fearing he too might be targeted by Israel.

"He is like a man who was hit on the head because they killed Yassin and now they could kill him," said an aide to Arafat, speaking on condition of anonymity. "He feels his turn is next and he is sad and worried."

With Nina Gilbert, Gil Hoffman, Herb Keinon and the Associated Press

[angels4u]

Arafat orders his security on alert after Yassin hit

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM

Monday, March 22, 2004

RAMALLAH

[Guest shiloh357]

Arafat may or may not be a target. No way to know for sure at this point. However, it is good for Arafat to THINK he is a target. I hope whenever he sees pictures of Yassins funeral, he sees his own. I hope this has old Arfat sweating and soiling himslef. I hope it keeps him up at night, worried, unable to eat or think about anything else. I hope he is afraid to go outside and afraid to stay inside, afraid to live and afraid to die. I hope he is as terrified of each minute being his last.