Initial report: Hamas leader Rantisi killed in IAF strike

[editor]

Initial report: Hamas leader Rantisi killed in IAF strike

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies
April 17, 2004

According to initial reports, Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi was killed in an Israeli helicopter missile strike on his car Saturday evening.

Two other people were killed in the strike, witnesses said.

A burned, destroyed car was left on the road near Rantisi's house and one badly burned body was removed from the car by paramedics. Witnesses said there were three people in the car at the time.

Palestinians ran into the street following the strike and called for revenge.

There was no immediate response from the IDF.

Rantisi was the newly-appointed head of the militant group in Gaza, following the assassination of Hamas founder and spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in a similar Israeli strike last month.

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/ha.....16382.html

[Shanks]

Yes, I turned on the news and heard this report about 10 minutes ago.

Funny that all the channels I watched reserved until the end of the report that a human bomb exploded at the Erez crossing 2 hours ago killing one Israeli policeman and injuring a few soldiers and that another plot failed to gain access to the crossing. The net result was that it seems that out of the blue when all had been quiet for about three weeks Israel decided to rock the boat and kill this man!! I think I am getting very weary of the media and the distortions in their reporting.
_________________
Shanks, London
The UN is past its sell by date and must be discarded

[david barrett]

confirmed
well done Israel
Exactly what is called for
and no 3 should expect the same treatment if follows in same vein
Hamas has to realise that diplomacy is called for / not extermination
They need a leader who is prepared to accept Israel as an entity that is
here to stay

[John]

[wtf2112]

During the mourning period for Yassin, Rantisi was defiant about Israel's threats against him.

"We will all die one day. Nothing will change. If by Apache or by cardiac arrest, I prefer Apache," he said.


I am so glad that the justice that was a long time coming to this
sub-human could abide him with his wish. Hopefully the next leader Hamas picks won't last even the 3 1/2 weeks that this monster did.

[Shanks]

Why is everybody as bloodthirsty as our enemies? Whilst I can accept that these methods of self preservation are inevitable in a war, particularly a war waged by such terrorists, I cannot accept that we use the vernacular of our enemies. Surely this is not what we are about! It is indeed a sad day when we are forced to kill someone, even if that someone is a terrorist like Rantisi. So, whilst we bless the fact that he can no longer order our destruction, we must not rejoice in his death. For if we become like them then we may as well give up our fight for survival.
_________________
Shanks, London
The UN is past its sell by date and must be discarded

[wtf2112]

Shanks-

My opinions are certainly not the positions of everybody. Please do not accuse everyone as being bloodthirsty. All I am saying is that justice has finally been served to this murderer. What the other side (as you put it our enemies) needs to know is that the time for dialogue, diplomacy, politics and especially politically correct bullshit talk about how we don't stoop to their level is done and over with. THEY WANT TO KILL US!!! It's either us or them! Because we are civilized these murderers take advantage of that as our weakness. We must not let the weakness of being civil to other humans get in the way of serving justice to them when they are out solely for our destruction. Appeasement by vernacular, rederick or behavior will only aid them in their goals of ending Western civilization as we know it.

Shanks - sorry if my verbiage offended you but I am furious everytime I hear about another homicide bombing- I can sleep tonight knowing there is one less maggot around ordering the killing of innocent people.

[John]

Well said wtf2112,

[david barrett]

Shanks
Your sentiments are correct but we are not celebrating
A so called civilised person who always referred to you and me as dogs and monkeys has gone the way of all animals
It is indeed sad that we had no option other than to remove him
[ and his son ] from the face of this earth ( sic Gibson senoir )
and yes halachically it is the correct thing to do

I agree with wtf2112 in that they should be given no rest
They have only another 3 potential leaders and they should not be given any respite; even to add one of their northern brethren to the hit list
might be a very good idea!

It is obvious that the aim is the disintegration of Hizbollah in Gaza
Then Arafat would be the only non relevant leader in the area

[Shanks]

My background is Shtei Gedod. I am of the view that there was never a negotiating partner amongst these "palestinians". However, we must deal with realism on the ground. Shtei Gedod in this day and age is not viable if we are to maintain a Jewish majority in a Jewish state.

We have what the British dealt us - a small section of ancient Israel being attacked by those who would that the British had never agreed to re-instate even this tiny portion of our homeland to our own sovereignty. It is correct that the Israeli government takes all necessary action to protect this small portion that we have and if that means eradicating the proponents of terror then so it must be.

I too die internally every time I hear of another human bomb being exploded amongst our people. I cannot think of a worse WMD than a human bomb. Use of such a weapon stoops so low that we cannot bend that far down. Having said that, I object to the celebration of a death, any death, with the use of language and expression of feelings that mimic the terrible manner, proclamations and sentiments of these "palestinians" whose behaviour has nothing to do with civilisation. They are not animals as animals have a decided order and are never violent unless they are under threat, much like Israel is at this moment.

I am also of the view that this policy of taking out the leadership coupled with the tight security afforded by the security barrier, has so weakened Hamas and its fellow terrorist organisations that try as they can, their missions into Israel are being diminished by the day. The PA too is weakened in the West Bank and soon the people on the ground will have to accept that Israel is here to stay if they want to again take advantage of the growth they enjoyed from 1967 until Arafat was legitimised by the West and regressed their progress.

One question for which I have no answer is what was in the “parcel” Sharon had under his arm for Bush when he visited him this last week? I think we’ll find out between now and the US elections!
_________________
Shanks, London
The UN is past its sell by date and must be discarded

[nodedet]

We have only just finished celebrating Pesach, where we are taught (among other things) not to rejoice in the death of our enemies, so I will back up Shanks on this one.

I'm not passing out candy or dancing in the streets, but I cannot help it if a grin flits cross my face at hearing the news.

I also dislike the term targeted assassination. I suppose this is what the media considers 'balanced,' but even from a purely semantic perspective, the phrase makes no sense. 'Targeted assassination' is redundant. All assassinations are, by definition, targeted. France, the latest member of the Arab League (>dripping sarcasm<) has condemned the killing as outside international law. Since Yassin, Rantisi and Hamas are at war, they are fair game and killing them is entirely legitimate. It is not possible to negotiate with them--their position is uncompromising. It is not possible to arrest them. It is only possible to eliminate them.

[Shanks]

This word assassination bothers me. Strictly, it applies to to the targeted killing of a political leader like a president, prime minister or king/queen. Yassin and Rantisi were none of these, they were terrorists. They died as a consequence of their terrorist activity.
_________________
Shanks, London
The UN is past its sell by date and must be discarded

[david barrett]

assissanation

Shanks
Is this linked to the elimination of sissies?

[Dr. kleber]

[Shanks]