Hard-line imam's death ends bloody clash in Gaza Strip

[jimmy olsen]

The analysis in bold is ridiculous. 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-gaza-fighting16-2009aug16,0,1538529.story

Hard-line imam's death ends bloody clash in Gaza Strip

A two-day battle between the imam, who wanted to impose Islamic law, and Hamas forces left 27 other people dead. The crackdown could allow Hamas to be seen as a bulwark against militancy by the West.

Reporting from Gaza City and Jerusalem - An imam who wanted to impose Islamic law in the Gaza Strip was killed today in an explosion at one of his hideouts, ending a two-day battle between his armed followers and Hamas government forces that left 27 other people dead.

The security crackdown could allow Hamas, which has tried to court favor with the West, to position itself as a moderate Islamic bulwark against militant forces inspired by Al Qaeda.

But the challenge by the imam, Abdel-Latif Moussa, also pointed to splits among Hamas' followers. Residents of the southern city of Rafah, where the clash occurred, said several former Hamas militants were killed while fighting for the imam's group, the Soldiers of the Companions of God.

Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Ihab Ghussein said the imam had espoused "perverted ideas and considered all Gazans as unbelievers" and had allegedly orchestrated the bombings of Internet cafes and a wedding party.

The spokesman said Hamas appealed to scholars, clerics and parents to "educate the Palestinian people in correct and moderate Islam."

Moussa provoked the clash Friday by announcing a campaign to impose religious law by force of arms. He made the declaration during a midday sermon in Rafah surrounded by black-clad gunmen who then holed up with him in a mosque and fought off Hamas security forces who besieged the building.

The rebels eventually abandoned the mosque through an underground tunnel and continued the fight from nearby homes. After an overnight lull, a Hamas negotiator approached the imam's hideout in an attempt to talk him into surrendering. An explosion rocked the house, killing the imam, his aide and the negotiator, Ghussein said.

Ghussein said the aide, a Syrian national of Palestinian origin, set off the explosion by detonating a suicide belt. There was no confirmation of the account by the imam's surviving supporters.

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Boudreaux is a Times staff writer and Abu Alouf is a special correspondent.

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

[CountDeMoney]

The analysis in bold is ridiculous. 

Not really.  It's what they've been trying to do since the election.  Douchebag.

[jimmy olsen]

The analysis in bold is ridiculous. 

Not really.  It's what they've been trying to do since the election.  Douchebag.

Not gonna work though.

[Admiral Yi]

Not really.  It's what they've been trying to do since the election.  Douchebag.

Are you stoned?  Since they were elected Hamas has waged civil war with Fatah, kidnapped Israeli soldiers, fired rockets at Israeli settlements and dug tunnels for gun smuggling.

[Habbaku]

Not really.  It's what they've been trying to do since the election.  Douchebag.

Are you stoned?  Since they were elected Hamas has waged civil war with Fatah, kidnapped Israeli soldiers, fired rockets at Israeli settlements and dug tunnels for gun smuggling.

They're slow learners.

[CountDeMoney]

Not really.  It's what they've been trying to do since the election.  Douchebag.

Are you stoned?  Since they were elected Hamas has waged civil war with Fatah, kidnapped Israeli soldiers, fired rockets at Israeli settlements and dug tunnels for gun smuggling.

They've been killing Jews, which falls under the whole "courting favor with the West" thing with Europe.

[Sheilbh]

The other thing about that bolded part is that the Hamas leadership have become tangled in more and more sophistic lines about what they want with Israel.  So the latest line, I heard, was that they accept all previous Israeli-Palestinian deals.  And then they just kept on repeating that while the interviewer was asking whether they recognised Israel, a la Oslo.

I think this is why I've heard Mitchell wants to do something with Israel and Fatah.  If they give the impression of progress then Hamas seems to be in the sort of mood were they don't want to be left behind.  It's a problem of running a state I suppose.

Having been reading about the French Revolution lately this sort of story reminds me of the moment when the Montagne found that it was the Establishment having to deal with more extremist annoyances on the left.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

hamas,  being muslims, will lie through their teeth if it allows them to destroy the jews, then the christians and then the rest.

[Siege]

You guys realize Hamas is a sect, right?
They are in the far fringe of the muslim world, and many see them as a heresy, but useful to fight Teh Eviel Israel.

Hamas themselves see are crazy enough to wage war against anybody that oppousses them in any way, including religious dogma, for lack of a better word.

[Sheilbh]

You guys realize Hamas is a sect, right?
They are in the far fringe of the muslim world, and many see them as a heresy, but useful to fight Teh Eviel Israel.

What's the nature of their heresy?

[Valmy]

You guys realize Hamas is a sect, right?

Huh?  I didn't realize there was anything theological about Hamas.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

You guys realize Hamas is a sect, right?

Huh?  I didn't realize there was anything theological about Hamas.

they're apparently an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, but I guess that's common knowledge.

[Viking]

Siege called HAMAS (it's an acronym fools) a sect. It is reasonable to ask what difference there is between HAMAS' beliefs and mainstream Sunni beliefs.

[Martinus]

I thought Hamas was an Arabic boysband. 

[DGuller]

I thought Hamas was an Arabic boysband. 

It's not, it's a Palestinian terrorist organization.