Hamas and the USA

[Graham]

U.S. intelligence agencies are warning that Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group, may begin attacking U.S. citizens and facilities if a war with Iraq begins.

This article from TIME magazine speculates that Hamas will use GUlf War II as an excuse to expand their terror operations to include US targets as well as Israeli.

Hamas is a long-standing, experienced and efficient terrorist orgainisation with an extremely fanatical following. I think it is safe to say that, were they to target US citizens, significant (or at least high-profile) casulties would result.

How, do you think, would the US government respond to such a situation? It seems to me that they woul dbe almost obliged to invade Palestine?

Would they be any more succesful in this than the Israelis have been?

How would the Arab world at large react to such an invasion (or indeed to any action taken by the US against the Palestinians)?

It's a scary prospect, no?

Graham

 

[svero]

I doubt very much this will happen. Hamas has it's hands full with Israel, and I think they know it wouldn't be in their best interest to attack American targets regardless of how they feel about the war in Iraq. I guess nothing is out of the realm of possiblity but this seems unlikely. Newborn Iraqi groups bent on revenge for the loss of loved ones seems likely though.

 

[Cleopatra]

plus the fact that they wouldn't want to piss off the States THAT bad.
But you can never trust serial killers.

 

[Graham]

According to the article:

The heightened concern was sparked by the bellicose declarations of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, Hamas' spiritual leader, who last month denounced the Bush Administration's threats to disarm Iraq by force as "a new crusade against the Muslim nation." Yassin's call for Muslims worldwide to "strike Western interests ... everywhere" marked a sharp departure from his movement's long-held belief that attacks on Americans would undercut Palestinian hopes of keeping U.S. pressure on Israel.

Now, why do you think it would not be in the interests of Hamas to attack the US?

It seems to me that direct US military involvement on Israel's behalf would be like all of Hamas' christmasses (Ramadans?) come at once.

No?

Graham

 

[Skeptic]

I guess "A Unique Person" will now have to change Hamas' designation from "freedom fighters" (those who kill mostly jews) to "terrorists" (those who also kill gentiles.)

Of course, they will still be terrorists with "understandable motives" (since they gentiles they will kill are only those imperialists Americans), you know, just like the Abu Sayyaf group, etc.

To be a REAL terrorist organization, you see, they have to kill someone AUP actually knows, and who isn't jewish.

 

[Michael Redman]

Now, why do you think it would not be in the interests of Hamas to attack the US?

How could it possibly be in the best interest of anyone to attack the US?

 

[Blue Monk]

Hamas gets most of it's funding and training from Iran. The fact that this is well known and well documented is what has probably prevented Hamas from targeting Americans before now.

I would suspect that after this Iraq affair Iran will be more inclined to keep an even tighter reign on their creeps.