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Israel kills top Hamas commander in Gaza
The Times ^ | June 9, 2006 | Sam Knight

Posted on 06/09/2006 10:15:27 AM PDT by MadIvan

Palestinian extremists threatened to send suicide bombers to "every corner" of Israel today after the killing of a Hamas security chief who was also one of the most feared militants in the territory.

Jamal Abu Samhadana, a 43-year-old explosives expert suspected of attacking a convoy of US diplomats in the Gaza Strip in 2003, was recently named "Director General" of Hamas's security forces. He was killed in an Israeli air strike late last night.

He was the first senior member of the three-month old Hamas-led government to be killed by Israel and the most prominent Palestinian militant to be targeted since the death of the Hamas commander, Salah Shehadeh, who was killed, along with 14 civilians, by a one-tonne bomb in 2002.

Samhadana died with at least three other militants as he entered a training camp for the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a shadowy armed faction set up during the last Intifada that is believed to overlap with Hamas and to have launched numerous rocket and suicide attacks against Israel.

Although well known in Gaza and the West Bank as a leading militant for some years, Samhadana shot to larger prominence six weeks ago when he was named to the upper echelons of Hamas's security apparatus. His promotion coincided with the creation of a brand new 3,000-strong black-shirted police force, set up by Hamas to counter Fatah-led militias and policemen still loyal to the former governing party.

His provocative appointment was then vetoed by the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas. In the process, Samhadana became a symbol of Hamas's determination to include known militants in its government, its continued defiance of Israel, and its deteriorating relationship with Fatah. At least 10 people have been killed in spiralling tit-for-tat violence between Fatah and Hamas in recent weeks.

In an interview with the Associated Press just ten days ago, Samhadana made his views plain, accusing Israel of trying to foment a civil war in the Palestinian Territories and telling an American journalist: "We are happy when any American soldier is killed anywhere in the world, because the American Army is an aggressor against all the people in the world, particularly the Arab and Muslim worlds."

As news of Samhadana's death spread last night, PRC gunmen took to the streets, demanding revenge. "God willing, our retaliation shall come," blared a loudspeaker on a car belonging to Abu Sharif, a PRC leader. "It will not be by statements, but by rockets toward Sderot and all the Zionist community. It will be by self-sacrificing martyrs who will blow up themselves in every corner."

Shortly afterwards, at least two rockets were fired towards Sderot, a town in southern Israel. One damaged a building but no one was hurt.

This morning, as Said Siyam, the Hamas Interior Minister, prepared to address tens of thousands of mourners at Samhadana's funeral, a Hamas MP said: "All options are open for the resistance groups to deliver a message to the enemy that must equal the magnitude of Abu Samhadana’s loss."

So many Palestinians joined the funeral procession in Rafah this afternoon that no mosque was large enough to accommodate them, and a football stadium was swiftly converted to hear open-air prayers. Masked gunmen fired automatic weapons into the air, chanting: "God is great," and "Revenge, revenge."

Stephen Farrell, Middle East correspondent for The Times, said that Samhadana's assassination, coming just hours before Mr Abbas is expected to challenge Hamas again by naming July 31 as the date for a referendum on whether the territory should recognise Israel, was likely to enrage the new hardline government.

"I think these are two things that will make Hamas very angry - the external threat of Israel and the internal pressure of Fatah and Abbas - and they are likely to mobilise on both fronts."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: hamas; israel; sandnazis
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Good shooting, Israel.

I refer to Hamas as "Sand Nazis" as they're just like Adolf's people in every way except that the Version 1.0 Nazis had better dress sense. The policy in 1939 was to shoot them. This policy still applies to the Sand variants.

Regards, Ivan

1 posted on 06/09/2006 10:15:30 AM PDT by MadIvan
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To: Alouette; Texican; Watery Tart; Deetes; Barset; fanfan; LadyofShalott; Tolik; mtngrl@vrwc; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 06/09/2006 10:15:58 AM PDT by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: MadIvan

Well ..... news from the world of terrorism just get gooderer and gooderer!


3 posted on 06/09/2006 10:16:55 AM PDT by Fighting Irish
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To: MadIvan

"This morning, as Said Siyam, the Hamas Interior Minister, prepared to address tens of thousands of mourners at Samhadana's funeral, a Hamas MP said: "All options are open for the resistance groups to deliver a message to the enemy that must equal the magnitude of Abu Samhadana’s loss." "

Now would be the time to finish it once and for all. A well placed MOAB ought to do.


4 posted on 06/09/2006 10:18:09 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Democrats - The reason we need term limits)
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To: MadIvan

Jamal Abu Samhadana to Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi:

"Man,this martyrdom business isn't what it's cracked up to be, is it Abu?"


5 posted on 06/09/2006 10:20:20 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (I support the troops and the mission.)
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To: prairiebreeze
They want to die. We're going to kill them.

Regards, Ivan

6 posted on 06/09/2006 10:20:56 AM PDT by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: MadIvan

Running out of virgins.


7 posted on 06/09/2006 10:27:56 AM PDT by caisson71
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To: MadIvan
I don't think the Islamic nutcases can quite decide if being a martyr is a good thing or a bad thing. After all, they're terribly happy... and terribly angry whenever one of their insects gets killed.

They're batty as hell.

8 posted on 06/09/2006 10:29:39 AM PDT by Reactionary (The Barking of the Native Moonbat is the Sound of Moral Nitwittery)
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To: MadIvan

I don't know how I'm gong to be able to handle all the good news coming out of the middle east.


9 posted on 06/09/2006 10:30:18 AM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: Reactionary
Yes, I noticed that. They can't seem to decide whether they should celebrate that one of their own is now getting laid 72 times over, or they ought to be upset that he's getting nookie before they are.

Regards, Ivan

10 posted on 06/09/2006 10:31:40 AM PDT by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: MadIvan
If the IDF killed 4 at once, odds are they used one of these:

Hellfire: When you care enough to send the very best.

11 posted on 06/09/2006 10:33:34 AM PDT by CholeraJoe ("Jack Bauer" is Arabic for "I'm f*cked.")
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To: MadIvan
His promotion coincided with the creation of a brand new 3,000-strong black-shirted police force, set up by Hamas to counter Fatah-led militias and policemen still loyal to the former governing party.

While the Old Media FRAUDcasters are focussed on Iraq and claiming there's a "pending civil war" there, they are completely oblivious to the civil war going on amongst the Palestinians.

12 posted on 06/09/2006 10:34:27 AM PDT by AFPhys ((.Praying for President Bush, our troops, their families, and all my American neighbors..))
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To: MadIvan
That good - more dead terrorists, this is a headline I'd hope to see some day:

Ireland kills top IRA commander in South Armagh

13 posted on 06/09/2006 10:35:09 AM PDT by Irish_Thatcherite (~A vote for Bertie Ahern is a vote for Gerry Adams!~| IRA supporters on FR are trolls, end of story!)
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To: CholeraJoe

Next!


14 posted on 06/09/2006 10:35:28 AM PDT by samadams2000 (Somebody important make The Call.....pitchforks and lanterns.!)
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To: MadIvan

The reporter uses the standard substitution "militant" for "terrorist", but also refers to Hamas' "black-shirted police force". Perhaps we have a subversive in the ranks of the MSM.


15 posted on 06/09/2006 10:36:53 AM PDT by rightwingcrazy
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To: MadIvan

Well done...I've never understood why they don't carpet bomb the 'funerals' of these thugs.


16 posted on 06/09/2006 10:37:27 AM PDT by Jim Verdolini (We had it all, but the RINOs stalked the land and everything they touched was as dung and ashes!)
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To: rightwingcrazy
It's progress but they're not yet calling them Sand Nazis.

Regards, Ivan

17 posted on 06/09/2006 10:37:41 AM PDT by MadIvan (I aim to misbehave.)
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To: EQAndyBuzz

The day for MOABs delivered on funerals has not yet arrived.

Some day it may, but that day has not yet come, and I pray that it never needs to come to that.


18 posted on 06/09/2006 10:39:08 AM PDT by AFPhys ((.Praying for President Bush, our troops, their families, and all my American neighbors..))
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To: MadIvan
"All options are open for the resistance groups to deliver a message to the enemy that must equal the magnitude of Abu Samhadana’s loss."
Now they really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really hate Israel.

The gloves are off, now.

19 posted on 06/09/2006 10:39:14 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: MadIvan

This is looking like a good week.


20 posted on 06/09/2006 10:41:35 AM PDT by RobRoy
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