Posted on 07/19/2004 9:16:19 AM PDT by Gritty
(CNSNews.com) - Four months after the founder of the terrorist group Hamas was assassinated by Israeli-fired helicopter missiles, his followers may be planning for the first time to shift their target of attack from the Middle East to the United States, according to a Muslim think tank in a Washington, D.C., suburb.
Ahmad Rashad from the United Association for Studies and Research (UASR), based in Springfield, Va., wrote about Hamas' strategy in the Internet magazine, The Palestine Chronicle. Rashad is identified at the end of the article as a "research associate" at UASR.
"In recent years, it has been increasingly difficult to convince, or be convinced, that restraint is the right strategy," Rashad stated in a Palestine Chronicle article on April 9.
Hamas, designated by the United States as a "foreign terrorist organization," has been linked to attacks in Israel that have killed hundreds of people, including American citizens.
But the March 21 assassination of Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin appears to have motivated the group's change in strategy. Hamas has labeled the U. S. "a collaborator in the killing of Yassin, and called upon Muslims across the world to join in acts of retaliation," according to U.S. government documents.
Yassin's death "will cause introspection. It will also cause a change in tactics," Rashad stated in The Palestine Chronicle .
The Internet article referred to the late Yassin and Musa Abu Marzook, the "former chief of Hamas' political wing and a key component of the movement," as "pragmatic elements."
But Marzook, the founder of UASR, has been on the U.S. government's list of "specially designated terrorists" since 1995. A recent CNSNews.com report showed links between UASR, Hamas and al Qaeda.
And "sixteen years after Hamas' establishment," Rashad warned in the Palestine Chronicle, "the world will probably see an attack on foreign soil for the first time."
Dr. Peter Leitner, president of the Higgins Counter Terrorism Research Center, told CNSNews.com that Rashad's predictions in The Palestine Chronicle should be taken seriously.
It appears to be "a veiled warning," he said, but could be "part of a disinformation campaign. We won't know for sure until something happens," Leitner added.
Hamas also has Israeli targets in sight, according to Rashad.
"Leaders of Hamas' military wing will now seek the expansion of their war against Israel. The Zionist state's interests -- embassies, consulates, cultural centers, diplomats -- across the globe are potential targets," Rashad wrote.
Political moderates in Hamas "are not only losing ground, but also re-thinking their positions," Rashad stated. "Radicals are taking more desperate, and violent, measures -- as has been the case in the past few years," he added.
Rashad also gave his readers a glimpse at what Hamas' new leadership might be like. "With the execution of pragmatists like Shekih Yassin, far less experienced, and more militant, leaders are taking over."
Following Yassin's death, the UASR immediately sent out word that it was planning an "interfaith dialogue between orthodox Jewish rabbis and Muslim imams" at its office in Springfield, Va.
Among those receiving the notice was Imam Fawaz Damra of Parma, Ohio. Damra is noted for extremist views as evidenced by a televised interview in the 1990s in which he referred to Jews as "the sons of pigs and monkeys." The invitation of Damra to the event billed as an "interfaith dialogue" raised questions among counter-terrorism experts about whether the meeting in fact was intended to be a response to the Yassin killing.
At the time, Damra was constrained by a travel restriction because he was under indictment for failing to disclose on his immigration application his connections to Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other groups the U.S. considers purveyors of terrorism. Due to the travel restriction placed on Damra by a federal judge, he was unable to attend the meeting at the UASR office. In June, Damra was convicted of those charges.
Neither Ahmad Rashad, nor any member of UASR would return telephone calls for comment.
The Palestine Chronicle, which published Rashad's comments, is "an independent [I]nternet magazine, dedicated to addressing issues and offering perspectives rarely seen in mainstream western media," according to the magazine's website.
ping. Look what New Zealand's new supporter is up to.
Memo to Hamas leadership du jour:
1 - DUCK! (made ya look!)
2 - Bush keeps a leash on Israeli retalation. Attack us and the leash will be removed.
My analysis exactly.
Smoke them out; hunt them down; shoot to kill.
No prisoners!
I agree wholeheartedly. I am sick and tired of hearing about these sh**heads day in, day out. They don't realize that the ONLY reason that they, and the rest of the terrorist infested PA, exist is becasue the US is able to keep enough pressure on Isreal to keep them from turning every Pali terrorist into a stain. If they attack the US, all bets are off. The PA and Hamas will go the way of the Taliban and Saddam.
The truely ironic thing about the situation? If the PA, and all the associated terrorist orgs were dismantled, the Pali populace would finally begin to be able to heal itself and get on with co-existing peacefully with the Isrtealis, if not becoming a productive part of Isreali society.
> ... Hamas ... followers may be planning for the first
> time to shift their target of attack from the Middle
> East to the United States, ...
Earlier this year, Hamas briefly made threats in our
direction, but quickly rescinded them. They didn't
want to get explicity added to the Axis of Evil target
list, and may have thought that they still had some
resdiual goodwill with the gullible.
If Hamas getting ready once again to officially join
the AoE, either it's a ploy (against Arafat), or they
figure they have nothing left to lose.
Since Springfield, VA is just a few minutes away I figure the best way to protect myself is to find out whether they are all going out of town and get out too.
That location is not much more than 13 minutes from the Pentagon.
Bring it on!
btt
Formerly: #28 Bobby Moore. I sat next to him on a plane.
I want my FULLY, unfettered Second Amendment Right.
No 1934 Act
No 1939 Act
No 1968 Act
No 1972 Act
No 1986 Act
No 1990 Act
No 1994 Act
As Americans, we have the right to the same firepower the government can use against us. As an added benefit, we are more prepared to defend ourselves against enemies foreign (i.e. islamofascists, chi-coms, UN, french). The Second Amendment was included to protect us from enemies domestic (i.e. liberals/commies, klintons, ALF, ELF, gun-grabbing pols, ANSWER, bureaucrats, eminent domain). The Second Amendment is the LYNCH-PIN to rest of the Constitution. Without the Second, the Constitution makes for an excellent 'fire-starter'. Any double entendres heavily implied.
Peace....D
"Bring em on"
My thoughts exactly. Hamas don't wanna go there. They are a conglomorate of Egypt/Syria/Iran.
None of those three countries wanna start it. Once one of them does(Hamas) it's on.
Should suicide bombings come to the US, malls, etc. All arabs/muzzies should probably migrate overseas.
America is in for some rough years. Can we reign in our government or will they just kill those who try to follow the constitution?
If you close your eyes and listen, you can actually pick up the thoughts coming from the Muslim "think tank":
Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!
OH DEAR... seems we've gone and made some parasite terrorists mad at us. Dang the bad luck. Just look at how they ignored us before they were mad at us... (?)
Hamas has been having more and more trouble keeping their leadership intact for more than a week at a time. The IDF has been a pretty effective outfit, but I don't suppose that even Hamas is stupid enough to want to take on *both* the IDF and the U.S. Marines.
But hey, Hamas, bring it on if you must. We'll play.
That would be a very dumb move.
These arabs love suicide dont they?
I wonder if it will affect the distribution deal they have with Michael Moore. Probably not. Wouldn't it be ironic if they came over here and accidentally killed him?
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