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Monday, April 19, 2004
amas pledges bloody revenge
or Israel’s assassination of leader
By Lara Sukhtian
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hamas
ireatened “100 unique reprisals” against
Israel for killing its leader, Abdel Aziz
bntisi, as hundreds of thousands of mourn-
Irs flooded the streets Sunday in a show of
[trength and fury.
It wasn’t clear if the Islamic militant
[roup was strong enough to carry out large-
[cale attacks after a sustained two-year
kraeli campaign against it. Despite promis-
|s of revenge, Hamas still has not struck in
tie three weeks since Israel assassinated
^antisi’s predecessor, Hamas founder Sheik
Mimed Yassin.
Hamas chose a replacement for Rantisi
Sunday, but did not disclose his name —
i clear sign at least that the group is on the
lefensive in the face of Israeli attacks ahead
[f Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s planned
vithdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Sharon on Sunday picked up the support
bf key Cabinet ministers for his unilateral dis-
Jngagement plan, including the Gaza with
drawal, assuring him of a Cabinet majority
head of a hard-fought referendum among
he 200,000 members of his Likud Party.
Sharon told the Cabinet on Sunday that
he would forge ahead with his plan and con-
pnue to “hit the terror organizations and
heir leaders.”
Cabinet minister Gideon Ezra said the
bverall Hamas leader, Damascus-based
(haled Mashaal, was also a target. Rantisi
vas in charge of the Palestinian areas and
Militant group’s top leaders
Hamas secretly appointed a new Gaza Strip chief but refused to
reveal his identity following the assassination of Abdel Aziz Rantisi.
Mahmoud
Ismail
Khaled
Moussa Abu
Zahar, 53
Hanieh, NA
Mashaal,
Marzook,
► Hamas
► Top aide to
late 40s
early 50s
spokesman
Yassin; ex
► Oversees Ha
► Mashaal’s
and hard-liner
pelled to Leb
mas’ political bu
deputy in the
► Hamas
anon in 1992
reau from Dam
political bu
founder Sheik
► Member of
ascus, Syria;
reau
Ahmed
Hamas' deci
expelled from
► U.S.-
Yassin’s per
sion-making
Jordan in 1999
educated; de
sonal physi
political
► Helped nego
tained by U.S.
cian; group’s li
bureau
tiate a truce that
authorities in
aison with the
► Go-
temporarily halt
1995 on suspi
PLO in the mid-
between with
ed Palestinian
cion of in
1990s
the PA
attacks on Israel
volvement in
► Opposes
► Involved in
► Survived a
terrorism
compromise
efforts to work
poison dart at
► Expelled to
with the PA
out an ar
tack in 1997 af
Jordan, then
► Imprisoned
rangement on
ter Jordan’s king
sent to Syria
by Israel; jailed
how to run
coerced Israel
repeatedly
Gaza after an
into sending an
by the PA
Israel pullback
tidote
SOURCE Associated Press
reported to Mashaal.
The killing of Rantisi set off demon
strations — some of them violent —
across Gaza and the West Bank, as well as
in Arab countries.
In the West Bank, Israeli troops shot
and critically wounded a 14-year-old
Palestinian boy in a clash between stone
throwers and soldiers.
Israel rebuffed international criticism,
including by several European countries. It
said Rantisi — like Yassin — was targeted
because he directed bloody Hamas attacks
NEWS IN BRIEF
against Israelis and was planning more.
However, many Palestinians held the
United States responsible for Rantisi’s
death, saying it is giving Israel free rein.
“The Palestinian government considers
this Israeli terrorist campaign to be a direct
result of American encouragement and the
total American bias in favor of the Israeli
government,” said Palestinian Prime
Minister Ahmed Qureia, echoing a widely
held sentiment in the West Bank and Gaza.
Palestinian officials are furious with
President Bush for sidelining them, endors
ing Sharon’s unilateral plan and backing
Israel’s demand to hang on to parts of the
West Bank.
Bush’s national security adviser,
Condoleezza Rice, denied that Bush gave
Sharon the go-ahead for the Rantisi killing
during their White House meeting last week.
She told ABC TV that Israel has the right to
defend itself, but that it is “extremely
important that Israel take into consideration
the consequences of anything that it does.”
Mashaal said Sunday that the killing of
Rantisi only strengthened his group and
boosted support for it. However, a local
leader in Gaza, Ismail Hanieh, acknowl
edged Hamas suffered a momentary setback.
Palestinian officials said they are worried
the next target for assassination will be
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, whom Israel
accuses of fomenting terror. The Israeli
Cabinet voted last year to “remove” Arafat.
In Sunday’s funeral, hundreds of thou
sands of Palestinians thronged the streets of
Gaza City. In addition to Rantisi, two body
guards were killed.
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police kill two men in Dallas shootout
DALLAS (AP) — Two men, believed to be suspects in a Dallas slaying,
were killed by police during a shootout overnight.
Shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday officers were investigating the shooting
path of a woman in Dallas. A witness described suspects in the shooting,
|nd a patrol officer spotted the suspects’ car, a few blocks away, police said.
1 Officers approached the vehicle and a brief chase ensued, said Dallas
Police Lt. Anthony Williams. The two men in the car got out of the vehi
cle and exchanged gunfire with officers, he said.
One man died at the scene, and the other man was taken to an area
[lospital where he died. No officers were injured, Williams said.
Police have placed three officers on procedural administrative leave,
while the incident is being investigated.
Police are investigating whether the suspects fired at the officers first,
Williams said.
Houston’s crash rate exceeds national
average, Houston-Galveston study says
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston area far exceeds the national average
in the number of serious traffic collisions, contributing to skyrocketing
medical costs and giving Harris County the most expensive auto insur
ance rates in Texas.
County officials said one reason drivers in Harris County are at
greater risk of collisions is because the area is growing faster than
roads can be improved or patrolled. Now area drivers are even crash
ing into the new MetroRail trains.
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