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What About the 1993 WTC Bombing!?!

Reader comment on item: Hamas vs. America

Submitted by Alex (United States), May 6, 2005 at 00:49

Hamas is most definitely a threat to America, both indirectly, in its attacks on our ally Israel, and directly, in terms of the physical security of our citizens both at home and abroad. Nonetheless, even if Hamas were not a direct threat to America, America should still not only order it "dismantled," but also specify that it should be the Israelis who dismantle it. Anything less would be--as the old Right Guard deodorant commercial used to say--uncivilized.

But seriously, as former FBI official Oliver "Buck" Revell explained so well in Steve Emerson's documentary, "Jihad in America," any attempts by the United States to publicly distance itself from Israel in order to assuage (read: appease) Islamist hostility ignores the central fact that America, not Israel, is the one target that unites all Islamists.

They see Israel as America's puppet, as the "illegitimate offspring of the Great Satan," as the "head of the snake" (of which Israel is the tail).

Hence, they are likely to see American pressure on Israel as a ploy, a ploy that questions their "manliness" in a political culture that values fighting and that remains deeply suspicious of the intent of those who offer to negotiate (one is reminded here of Dr. Bernard Lewis' insight that it is the "tempter," not the warmonger, whom Khomeini fears in the United States).

Furthermore, the supposed "ideological" differences between Hamas and al-Qaida are really just a tribalistically-minded turf-war between local activists focused on "national liberation" and globalist-minded ideologues intent on world-wide revolution in which Palestine's "national liberation" is important only insofar as it accords with the movement's goals at any one moment (this could be said of any local Islamist outfit who clashes with bin Laden's/Khamenei's global aspirations).

My guess is that with the power vacuum created in Gaza by the death of Yassin, Rantisi and Arafat, the international Hamas leaders (Mashal, Marzook, Hamdan) more oriented toward and connected with international jihadists--and their sponsoring states--will increasingly dictate the Hamas agenda, thus further nullifying the argument that Hamas is Israel's problem, not that of the United States. Dream on...President Bush.
Submitting....

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Reader comments (31) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Here's the deal Hamas: your leg for my eye. Got it? [60 words]David Reynolds JanusFeb 6, 2006 19:2733982
Hamas: is it true what we see [60 words]NalioNov 3, 2005 08:5327728
Reality Check [134 words]Edwina SaidApr 16, 2006 07:5027728
Check that "Reality Check" [36 words]MaxMar 25, 2008 11:5927728
A cry in the wilderness [66 words]S.C.PandaMay 28, 2005 08:1922460
Hamas Terrorists vs The Nazi "Action" Squads [236 words]Dave M. O'NeillMay 10, 2005 02:4022038
Nuclear Hamas [74 words]FrederickMay 8, 2005 13:4422026
Wishing Upon Stars [246 words]John Randall PeacherMay 6, 2005 04:4922014
What About the 1993 WTC Bombing!?! [348 words]AlexMay 6, 2005 00:4922012
Muslim Group in France Is Fertile Soil for Militancy [9 words]Vishal VermaMay 5, 2005 15:5722006
blah, blah, blah [94 words]Donald OMay 4, 2005 19:5221994
Hamas must be destroyed [39 words]Marvin GoldMay 4, 2005 15:3621991
Hamas & Hizbollah [77 words]YovenMay 4, 2005 14:5321990
Infiltration [40 words]Mark HymanMay 4, 2005 08:4421987
Is democracy a viable concept in the Middle East? [163 words]Mike FitchmanMay 4, 2005 03:5021983
Is appeasement the only way out? [254 words]Michael Weiss, M.D.May 3, 2005 21:1521978
The White House [32 words]Dennis PreiserMay 3, 2005 21:1221977
Fundraising for the HAMAS fundraiser [176 words]Northern VirginiastanMay 3, 2005 18:3821974
Severe underestimation of threat [80 words]Arvind MadhavanMay 3, 2005 16:0921971
Terrorism works...a sad fact [22 words]RS BrennerMay 3, 2005 15:3121969
Be brave for a while .. [81 words]GalalMay 3, 2005 13:4921964
A voice in the wilderness [85 words]Lee D. CaryMay 3, 2005 12:3921963
When will they ever learn?....When will they ever learn?... [177 words]Janet Ann SuzukiMay 3, 2005 12:2721962
If it is true [164 words]Dray PascalMay 3, 2005 10:5121959
Hamas as "Professionals." [80 words]Sy DillMay 3, 2005 10:0521958
Agreement [68 words]Peter J. HerzMay 3, 2005 09:1421955
Hamas must be destroyed [37 words]Octavio JohansonMay 3, 2005 08:1321953
Go Ahead Make Our Day [23 words]Hamas BusterJan 26, 2006 21:3821953
AL QAEDA / HAMAS / HEZBOLLAH / ISLAMIC JIHAD !! [225 words]John SmithJan 27, 2006 14:0821953
Adam Balm on Hamas !! [163 words]Adam BalmJan 27, 2006 16:3721953
wool over your eyes [52 words]cloud nineJul 25, 2006 20:1621953

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