Report: Hamas threatens more kidnappings

[oberliner]

Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal has threatened further kidnappings of Israeli troops on Monday afternoon, according to the Hamas affiliated Palestine Info website.

Kidnappings like the abduction "done four months ago" of Gilad Shalit would go on, the report said, as part of "a bid to swap them for Palestinian detainees languishing in occupation dungeons."

"As long as there are (Palestinian) captives, the resistance will continue to capture Zionist soldiers to exchange them for those captives who spent long years in occupation jails," Mashaal was quoted as saying.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3333386,00.html#n

[msmcghee]

1. I thought Abbas or somebody . .

. . said that Hamas and the other militias had accepted the offer of peace. That they'd stop all attacks against Israel (which I assume would include kidnapping any IDF and bringing them into Gaza) - in exchange for the IDF leaving Gaza.

I guess only Israel is expected to honor the agreement. Otherwise Jimmy Carter might write a book telling the world how Israel is taking advantage of the poor Palestinians.

[IntiRaymi]

2. Interesting wording.

"Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal..."

Pandering to cold war prejudices, are we?

[msmcghee]

3. Try googling . .

. . Hamas politburo Meshal. (Don't worry, it's free.)

Apparently there are about 13,000 times someone thought those words were connected.

[IntiRaymi]

4. Yep, and guess what I can find

2.5 million hits:
"Israeli Racism"
http://www.google.com/search?q=Israeli+racism&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

[msmcghee]

6. I figured there'd be twice that many . .

. . just from I/P.

[IntiRaymi]

8. Take a good look at the hits

Most of them are from unique domain names. Google is your friend, for it is vox populi .

[everythingsxen]

11. Indeed, do take a good look at the hits..

While they are indeed "unique domain names" a great many of them are same page/articles regurgitated over and over...

[IntiRaymi]

13. You made my point, actually

Going back to the 'politburo' business - repetition imprints an image in your mind. Why is the media labeling something arabic, such as Hamas, with a word that has soviet undertones?

[everythingsxen]

15. Why is the arabic media labeling arabic organizations with a word

that has "Soviet" overtones (except of course, it actually doesn't; if you had read the wiki link you'd see that Afghanistan was using it for a while)

And I hardly made your point at all. My only point was that half of the hits provided from "Israeli Racism" are from the same 2 or 3 articles, recyled on different websites. Having a bunch of unique domain names is meaningless considering that most of them have the exact same article.

On the other hand, googling Palestine +Politburo calls up many unique hits, many of which are from Pro-Palestinan web sites which choose to use the word politburo.

[IntiRaymi]

16. OK, so lets go to my other point, then

Why are there 2.4 million hits that include those terms, 'israeli racism'?
Is that the concept whose discussion some here are trying so hard to clamp down on?

[Boston Critic]

19. because there are a lot of antisemites

posting the same bilge.

I would have thought that was obvious.

[oberliner]

7. Al-Jazeera , Syrian Arab News Agency, Lebanon Daily Star use the same term

The Palestine Info web site uses the term itself as well in some of its articles.

[Boston Critic]

20. Obviously a Jewish plot.

Isn't always Israel's fault in the end, even if that's the term Hamas ITSELF uses?

[everythingsxen]

12. Interesting definition of the word "Politburo"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politburo

Apparently people use the word poilitburo. Not for any reason, just because they can...

Here is a search for Politburo +Palestine: http://www.google.com/search?q=Politburo+%2BPalestine&hl=en&lr=

Apparently a lot of MidEast and Arabic sites that are definately Pro-Palestinian use Politburo as well, so I guess it must be some gigantic conspiracy to use the word Politburo....

[Boston Critic]

18. That's his title

Why do you think that is?

[everythingsxen]

5. What a great way to show your commitment to peace!

Kidnapping = Peace
Rockets = Truce
Murder = Friendship

I really need to get an Arabic dictionary... apparently there are subtleties to it I was not aware of.. :sarcasm:

[Scurrilous]

9. Meanwhile...

Israeli arrests continues in West Bank (11/27/2006)

<snip>

"The Israeli Occupation Forces arrested today morning ten Palestinians in the West Bank (WB) cities of Nablus, Bethlehem and Qalqiliya, security sources said.

They added that Israeli soldiers, backed with number of military vehicles and bulldozers, rolled into Nablus city amid intensive fire shooting and conducted a search campaign into citizens' houses, arresting three citizens and leading them into an unknown spot. An Israeli bulldozer also destroyed water net in Balata refugee camp.

The Israeli occupation forces also stormed, at dawn, Nahalin village, west Bethlehem and searched citizens' houses, arresting four youths and leading them into an unknown location. The Israeli occupation forces caused damage into property, witnesses said.

Israeli soldiers also launched a search campaign into citizens' houses in Qaqiliya town, of the WB and arrested three citizens, leading them into an unknown destination."

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/061127/2006112724.html

[oberliner]

10. Who are the Israeli Occupation Forces your source refers to?

I am unaware of such an organization.


I wonder if the arrests were related to these from last week:

West Bank arrest foils suicide bombing


Published: 11.23.06, 11:41
The IDF, the Shin Bet and police forces arrested Wednesday night four wanted Palestinian suspects who had been in the final stages of a planning a terror attack inside Israel .

The four – all Islamic Jihad members – wee arrested in the village of Qabatiya bear Jenin. Fire exchanges erupted between the security forces and the Palestinian gunmen in the course of the raid.

The attack was apparently meant to be a suicide bombing and be carried out in the immediate future. Forces also uncovered an explosive device, two AK-47 assault rifles, an M-16 assault rifle and protective gear during the arrest.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3331740,00.html

[Scurrilous]

14. IOF : IDF :: Politburo Chief : Political Leader?

Another link:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3333450,00.html

IDF nabs 13 wanted Palestinians across West Bank

"IDF forces arrested 13 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank overnight. An explosive device was thrown at the forces during the operation, and fire was opened at the troops. No injuries were reported.

The suspects were transferred for investigation."


These 'nabbings' are different than the ones you linked to.

[oberliner]

17. Do you really think that analogy is fair?

The term "Politburo" is used to refer to Mehsal by Al-Jazeera, The Syrian Arab News Agency, and your source, arabicnews.com.

Al-Jazeera:

Former Palestinian prime minister, Ahmad Qurei', who is currently in the Syrian capital Damascus, has asked Palestinian faction leaders to renew their truce with Israel, according to Palestinian sources.

In addition, Hamas' politburo head, Khaled Mesha'al, has outlined to Qurei' the main conditions Hamas has in regards to forming a new Palestinian national unity government.

http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2006%20News%20Archives/November/21%20n/Khaled%20Mesha'al%20informs%20Qurei'%20of%20the%20Hamas%20conditions,%20Particularly%20Advance%20Guarantees%20of%20Lifting%20Israeli-US-EU%20Blockade%20and%20Sanctions.htm

Syrian Arab News Agency:

Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem on Tuesday discussed with Head of Hamas Politburo Khaled Meshal and Deputy Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Ahmad Bahr and the accompanying delegation the developments in the occupied Palestinian territories in light of the Israeli escalating aggression against the Palestinian people.

http://www.sana.org/eng/21/2006/11/07/82657.htm

Arabicnews.com:

During his meeting on Sunday at al-Rawda Palace with a delegation lead by the chairman Hamas Politburo Chief Khaled Mashaal, the Syrian president stressed the need of honoring the will of the Palestinian people cherished in the ballot box.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/060130/2006013001.html


Edited to add: Thank you for the new link to the West Bank arrest story.

[Scurrilous]

21. Probably not....

...hence the question mark.

[Boston Critic]

22. "Citizens?" Were they just innocent bystanders?

I wouldn't expect "Arabic News" to note they were suspected terrorists.

If the Palestinians want a truce in the West Bank, let them pledge (and enforce!) a complete ceasefire there as well. So long as the Palestinians continue to attack, Israel has no choice but to defend itself.