Israel Takes Out Yassin:

I could not be more pleased that a horrible, evil, despicable man has been taken off the face of the earth. he was a hitler without the means, a fascist with limited resources and certainly faces a long punishment for his deeds in the afterlife.

however.

israel, i believe has really erred this time. not because i disagree with taking out yassin, but because there was no obvious reason to do so now. yes, there are always reasons, i suppose, but this was not an opportune time. they could have taken him out several times after the deaths of several israelis and it would have made more sense for all involved.

but this attack kind of came out of the blue. for the international press and more so for the muslim world, it seems almost, kind of, in a sense, unprovoked. i say this being aware of yassin's atrocities and sympathize with his victims to no end.

but israel really could have picked its timing more closely. unless there is more information that may justify this attack, this seems like a strategic error.

here's AP's report:

Angry Palestinians Bury Slain Leader
By LARA SUKHTIAN
Associated Press Writer


GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)--Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians chanting ``revenge, revenge'' flooded Gaza's streets Monday to bury assassinated Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, as militants pledged unprecedented retaliation--including threats against the United States.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and many world leaders condemned Monday's killing of Yassin, the most prominent Palestinian targeted by Israel in 3 1/2 years of fighting. The United States urged both sides to show restraint.

``We will get revenge for every drop of blood that spilled,'' said Salman Bdeiri, a Hamas supporter crying near the mosque where Yassin prayed shortly before being killed by an Israeli airstrike.

Israel sealed off the West Bank and Gaza, banning Palestinians from Israel, and placed its security forces on high alert.

Later Monday, Palestinian militants fired several homemade rockets and mortar shells at Israeli targets in and near Gaza. To the north, Hezbollah guerrillas fired an anti-tank missile at Israeli troops along Israel's border with Lebanon, and Israel responded with an airstrike and artillery fire.

The Yassin assassination was part of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's effort to crush Hamas ahead of a possible Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. However, the killing was seen as a major gamble that could galvanize the Palestinians behind Hamas. Rival Palestinian militant groups immediately pledged solidarity with Hamas.

The missile strike dealt what could be the final blow to the stalled U.S.-led ``road map'' peace plan. It also angered Egypt and Jordan, moderate Arab states whose tacit support Sharon needs for any unilateral withdrawal from Gaza.

Since Yassin founded Hamas in 1987, the group has killed hundreds of Israelis in scores of attacks. Hamas wants to destroy the Jewish state and replace it with an Islamic one.

For the first time Monday, Hamas threatened the United States and suggested it might seek outside help in carrying out revenge attacks.

``The Zionists didn't carry out their operation without getting the consent of the terrorist American administration and it (the United States) must take responsibility for this crime,'' Hamas said in a statement. ``All the Muslims of the world will be honored to join in on the retaliation for this crime.''
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two things:
1. if anyone knows 'terrorist' or 'terrorism' its hamas. what a joke. kettle, meet pot.
2. hamas might be branching out at this stage. attacks outside of israel have been off limits. who knows know. if they take this to the US, they might be in for a rude surprise. the US knows where to find them, knows their land and knows how to destroy them.