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Partridge
03-02-2006, 02:55 PM
[Partridge: Would this (http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=241042&contrassID=2&subContrassID=5&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y&itemNo=241042) be the same (http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j120902.html) al-Qaeda (http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=3544) as this (http://www.propagandamatrix.com/palestinians_arrest_al_qaeda_poseurs.htm)? - Note with one exception, all the mainstream links in the Antiwar.com article dealing with this specific issue are now dead.]

Abbas: "Al-Qaida Now in West Bank, Gaza"
AP (http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5658683,00.html)

Al-Qaida has spread to the West Bank and Gaza Strip and its operations there could have dire consequences for the entire region, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview published Thursday. Israel said it was stepping up its campaign against the terror network. South Africa, meanwhile, confirmed it had invited the leaders of Hamas for talks as the militant group prepares to take over the Palestinian parliament, yet another blow to Israel's efforts to isolate the militant group. No timetable has been set for the visit, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told The Associated Press.

Abbas said Palestinian security forces have not captured any al-Qaida operatives but had evidence they were in the territories.

``We have signs of an al-Qaida presence in the West Bank and Gaza,'' Abbas told the London-based Al Hayat newspaper, without elaborating. ``The infiltration of al-Qaida can ruin the whole region.''

He elaborated during a later news conference on the Jordan-West Bank border, saying: ``We have information, yet to be confirmed, that al-Qaida, just as it sends its operatives to Jordan and other countries like Saudi Arabia and others, also might send us operatives for sabotage (acts).

``We must be alert, and all our security forces are trying with all means to prevent their arrival here, or their carrying out any sabotage acts in this region.''

Israel has warned before that al-Qaida was operating in Gaza and recently arrested a Palestinian it said worked for the group. Jordan's King Abdullah also has said al-Qaida has set up terror cells in Israel.

Osama bin Laden repeatedly has identified Israel as a target, and the Palestinian cause has been cited as one of the reasons for the network's attacks.

Asked to comment on Abbas' remarks, acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel was stepping up its campaign against Al-Qaida.

``There are, of course, attempts by terror elements, including international ones, to extend their reach in areas adjacent to us,'' Olmert told reporters in Jerusalem.

``We are systematically intensifying our war,'' he said, adding that ``all restraints have been lifted on security forces where preventing and thwarting (terror) is concerned.''

In the same briefing, Olmert vowed to use an ``iron fist'' against Palestinian militants who have stepped up their attacks and said no restrictions would be placed on security forces.

Olmert spoke after a rash of shootings and stabbings claimed the life of one Israeli civilian and wounded five since Tuesday. In the latest attack, just a month before Israel's March 28 elections, an Israeli man was stabbed in the neck at an Israeli factory in northern Jerusalem on Thursday.

Israel also expressed concern at the South African invitation to Hamas, which the Foreign Ministry in Johannesburg confirmed.

``We would be concerned that giving legitimacy to an unreformed Hamas could stifle the possibility that the movement will transform itself from a terrorist organization to a political party,'' Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.

Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union as well, killed more than 500 Israelis in four years of suicide bombings that it suspended last year.

The group's landslide victory in Jan. 25 Palestinian elections took the world by surprise, prompting international demands that the group recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce terrorism and accept Mideast peacemaking.

But the international wall of solidarity began to crumble last month when Russia invited Hamas leaders to Moscow for talks, despite the group's adherence to its violent ideology. That invitation, which was endorsed by the French, was followed by talks between Hamas and Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and an invitation from Venezuela to visit.

Similarly, Western threats to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians have been tempered by the prospect of deepening humanitarian distress and chaos in already impoverished Palestinian areas.

The group's talks in Russia are set to begin on Friday. Abu Zuhri said Hamas leaders would ask for economic and political support.

The Palestinian Authority desperately needs an infusion of foreign aid, especially after Israel last month stopped the transfer of payments it owes to the Palestinian Authority, saying it feared the money could be used to finance attacks against Israel once the militants take power later this month.

Those payments - taxes and customs Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority under a long-standing agreement - total more than $600 million annually.

In recent days, Abbas has said he expects Hamas to tame its ideology once it took power. On Thursday, ahead of the Hamas visit to Russia, the Palestinian ambassador to Moscow joined the chorus.

Hamas ``ties the question of recognizing Israel as a state with the necessity to end the occupation of the Palestinian territories,'' Ambassador Bakir Abdel Munem, a member of Abbas' Fatah Party, was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency. ``At the same time, I think that Hamas may revise its stance in the interests of the entire Palestinian people.''

Citing security concerns, Israel kept Gaza's main cargo crossing closed Thursday, counter to expectations. The Karni passage has been closed since an explosion there Feb. 21.

Palestinians criticized the decision to keep Karni idle.

``The continued closure is causing humanitarian and economic harm to the Palestinian people, and threatening a real shortage in food supplies,'' said Salim Abu Safiyeh, director-general of the Palestinian Border Authority.

Israel has offered alternatives to Karni, but the Palestinians have rejected them for fear it would give Israel an opening to turn those passages, on Israeli territory, into the de facto crossings for goods moving in and out of Gaza.

Partridge
03-02-2006, 03:35 PM
Israel gives military free rein
Al-Jazeera (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0E1C43ED-DFAC-45B4-8088-9A15D41B895E.htm)

Israel says it has lifted all restrictions on its military and that it is intensifying its war against alleged terrorists, including al-Qaida.

Ehud Olmert, the acting Israeli prime minister, made the statement on Thursday, saying he would use an "iron fist" against Palestinian resistance fighters and al-Qaida.

"I have issued an order to all the security forces of Israel to use special means to confront the buds of terrorist action," Olmert told a news conference in Jerusalem.

"We are systematically intensifying our war.

"No one who fires off a Qassam rocket will have a moment's rest, because we shall seek him out everywhere, track him everywhere, reach him and make sure he is not able to do it."

Qassam rockets are homemade and rarely cause casualties.

"We will use an iron first against any attempt to renew terror activity anywhere," he said. "There are no restraints on security forces to use any means necessary to stop terror attacks."

A day earlier, at a campaign stop in advance of Israeli elections on 28 March, Olmert said Israel would pursue all opportunities for peace.

In recent weeks, Israel has stepped up arrest raids in the West Bank and killed a number of Palestinians in Gaza.

But Israel has denied involvement in the car blast on Wednesday that killed Khalid Dahduh, Islamic Jihad's military commander in Gaza.

On Thursday, an Israeli man was stabbed in the neck at an Israeli factory in northern Jerusalem.

Al-Qaida

Olmert said: "There are, of course, attempts by terror elements, including international ones, to extend their reach in areas adjacent to us."

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has also said that al-Qaida has infiltrated the Gaza Strip and West Bank, but has given no further details.

He was quoted by the Arabic-language Al Hayat newspaper as saying: "We have signs of an al-Qaida presence in the West Bank and Gaza.

"The infiltration of al-Qaida can ruin the whole region."

Israel also says al-Qaida is operating in the Gaza Strip, and that it has arrested a Palestinian allegedly working with the group. Abbas says Palestinian security forces have not captured any al-Qaida operatives.

Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida, has cited Israel as a target, and the Palestinian cause as one of the reasons for attacks.

Karni closed

Also on Thursday, Israel continued to keep the main cargo crossing in the Gaza Strip closed.

The Karni passage has been closed since an explosion there on 21 February. Extended closures are seen by Palestinians as a collective punishment.

The crossing has been closed for five weeks this year.

On Wednesday, Palestinian officials said they had been told by Israel that the crossing would open on Thursday.

Later Israel said it would not reopen because Palestinians were firing rockets towards Israeli points.

Salim Abu Safiya, director-general of the Palestinian Border Authority, said: "The continued closure is causing humanitarian and economic harm to the Palestinian people, and threatening a real shortage in food supplies."

Palestinian farmers planned to dump hundreds of tons of produce that had nearly spoiled while waiting at the crossing to be exported to Israel and Europe.

PhilosophyGenius
03-02-2006, 06:27 PM
If you go to Debka.com or Globalterroralert.com you can see videos and statements by this new group.

Partridge
03-02-2006, 07:16 PM
I don't know about globalsecurity, but I wouldn't trust debkafile (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEBKAfile) as far as I could throw its collective editorial board (see the link for the reasons why). I can't find any videos on either of those site by the way.

Of course, I'm not saying that 'Al-Qaeda' (or some internationalist radical Islamist group that shares goals with 'al-Qaeda') isn't trying to establish itself in Gaza (how can I know for sure?), but something about this smells fishy - especially in light of the links I posted in my introduction about the fake 'al-Qaeda' cell in Palestine in 2002. A good question would be 'why would Abbas admit it' - and a good answer might be 'because its in his/Fatah's interests to tar Hamas with the Al-Qaeda brush'.

Like I said, I don't know for sure - but something just doesn't sit right with me.

PhilosophyGenius
03-03-2006, 01:31 AM
then check out globalterroralert.com

Partridge
03-03-2006, 10:37 AM
then check out globalterroralert.com

Sorry, I meant globalterroralert. There's so many of these 'expert' intel sites that I get confused.

Gold9472
03-03-2006, 10:39 AM
That's why it's best to find your own "intel" to the best of your ability... if you can't trust yourself, than who can you trust?

beltman713
03-03-2006, 05:00 PM
I found my own "AMD", is that ok?

PhilosophyGenius
03-03-2006, 07:41 PM
Sorry, I meant globalterroralert. There's so many of these 'expert' intel sites that I get confused.

Globalterroralert.com is a good site. What it mainly is is communiques and vidoes from al-Qaeda, such as statements made and vidoes of there attacks.

Also, I agree that most "experts" are total idiots. And it's funny how all they do is just repeat what's on the news and act like they discovered it. If there are any "terrism experts" reading this right now, "get a real fucking job you lazy bastard!!!!!!"