EU warns Israel against targeted killings
Associated Press – Friday, January 16, 2003
Published in The Jerusalem Post The European Union on Friday called on Israel not to resume targeted killings after a top Israeli official warned that Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin is "marked for death."
"The European Union has spoken on several occasions against the so-called extra-judicial killings of suspected terrorists," EU spokesman Diego Ojeda said.
"Proceeding in such a manner against a leading figure of a Palestinian terrorist organization would be counterproductive to efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East as the European Union has expressed many times before." In Washington, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Israel has a right to defend itself but should also consider the consequences of its actions. He emphasized that the United States opposes targeted killings.
Israeli security officials on Friday said that targeted killings of senior Hamas members would likely resume after a bombing Wednesday that killed four Israeli border guards at the Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim initially named Yassin as a target – the first time an Israeli official has been so specific. He later said high-level Defense Ministry discussions on a response to the bombing did not include a decision to kill the Hamas founder.
Earlier this year, Israel unleashed several air strikes against leading Hamas figures, killing one, Ismail Abu Shannon, but missing three others, including Yassin who escaped the bombing of a Gaza City building in September with minor injuries.
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Read the rest here. -------------------------------
Well, gee. I can see how killing a terrorist leader would inhibit the peace process. :crazy:
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On Edit: Fixed links, added bold.