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Airstrike kills Hamas founder

BY IBRAHIM BARZAK

Associated Press


GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the founder and leader of the Hamas extremist group that has targeted Israelis in suicide bombings, was killed by missiles fired from Israeli helicopters as he left a mosque at daybreak today, witnesses said.

Hamas confirmed the death in an announcement broadcast over mosque loudspeakers and vowed revenge against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Witnesses said Israeli helicopters fired three missiles at Yassin, who was in a wheelchair, and two bodyguards as they left the mosque, killing them instantly. A total of four people were killed and 12 were wounded in the attack, witnesses said.

Yussef Haddad, 35, a taxi driver, said he saw the missiles hit Yassin and the bodyguards. ''Their bodies were shattered,'' he said.

HIGH-RANKING

Yassin was by far the most senior Palestinian extremist killed in more than three years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting. Since September 2000, 474 people -- the majority of them Israelis -- have been killed in 112 Palestinian suicide bombings.

The Bush administration, as well as Israel, lists Hamas as a terrorist group.

Sharon's government has gone after extremist leaders using Israeli helicopter gunships in a controversial policy that has resulted in a number of civilian casualties in addition to the deaths of senior figures in Hamas and other groups.

POSSIBLE REPRISALS

Yassin was viewed as an inspirational figure by his followers in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. His death could spur violent protests not only in the Palestinian areas but in the wider Arab and Islamic world.

Thousands of angry Palestinians gathered minutes after the attack, calling for revenge against Israel.

In announcing Yassin's death, Hamas said, ``Ariel Sharon has opened the gates of hell and nothing will stop us from cutting off his head.''

Yassin founded Hamas at the start of the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, in 1987. It is an offshoot of the Islamic fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, which is based in Egypt. Yassin was held in Israeli prisons for several years before being freed in 1994.

Past Israeli governments were reluctant to target Yassin, fearing revenge attacks.


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cliff notes:

asshole terrorist group founder blasted by israeli missiles



:rokk: :moon:

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Mommy, they killed Santa!!! :o

that is great news :bjump:

Can't wait for the bleeding hearts to jump in on this one.

still waiting :P

He shuold have been killed 10 years ago.

I do not understand how some terrorists were off limits.... they should all be destroyed starting at the top!!

Everyone knows that the killing of religious leaders always has the desired effect.

The only good that will come from this are the Israelis that will soon be weeping over the chunks that used to be their loved ones. Everytime an Israeli dies, an angel gets its wings.

The God of Israel is powerless.



Last edited by [Labret] at Mar 23 2004, 09:11 AM

I guess what they're hoping for is that the immediate backlash will be less damaging than what he had in store for them in the long run. I mean, say 100 Israelis are killed in the next 2 months in retaliation for this, then that's better than 200 being killed over the next 6 months and Yassin still being around to do more.



Last edited by chodadog at Mar 23 2004, 09:47 AM

Yeah, Islamic militants are notorious for not carrying grudges for years and years and years.

Nobody will take his place, this will not galvanize a segment of the militant population, terrorist resolve has been crushed. Peace will now prevail in Israel. Palestinians will no longer whine about being marginalized and forced into ghettos, all is well.

They have you to do that for them.

Well, i didn't say i agree with it. I just think that's their logic behind the killing.

It really doesn't matter what they do. There will always be arabs that want to kill Jews, whether Israel takes a militant or diplomatic approach to the situation.

i don't think its gonna help things maybe make some israelis happy

what solution would "help things"?

they could easily wipe out thousands of these fucks with some big big bombs.

I just don't think pickin em off slowly is the answer, an all out assault or nothing.

These pussy killings over the last 50 years havent seemed to stop anything. Gotta blast all targets for the desired results.

There is no solution. That region will be in conflict until the end of time, or until the end of either the Jews or the Muslims. Whichever happens first. The killing wouldn't stop even if Israel became a Palestinian state. They were killing Jews before Israel was formed, and they'll continue to kill Jews if Israel ever ceases to exist.

i would say that since at the root of the conflict are issues that do not allow for middle ground or compromise, that the international community should either step in 100% with security/peace keepers and help end the conflict with a military presence while improving the lives of Palestinians or step back 100% and let them fight to the end.