Solomonia Archive: Bush stands up once again - and an offer Yassin shouldn't have refused

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Bush stands up once again - and an offer Yassin shouldn't have refused

Roger L. Simon points to a couple of items. First, George Bush as the only World Leader (well, that I've seen) saying the right thing:

"Israel has the right to defend herself from terror, and, as she does so, I hope she keeps consequences in mind," Bush said.

What a guy.

Meanwhile, there is also this very interesting rumor, from Maariv:

Sheikh Said Siam, another senior functionary of Hamas, earlier gave Maariv Online the first official confirmation for reports that appeared recently in the Arab press that the United States offered the organization's leader Sheikh Ahmad Yasin immunity from attempts on his life in return for a stop to terrorist attacks.

This immunity, according to Sheikh Siam, would have applied only to the political wing of Hamas and not to its armed wing, the Iz a-Din el-Kassam Brigades. The offer was relayed to Yasin by intermediaries, but he rejected it saying "the blood of Hamas leaders is no dearer than that of a Palestinian child."

So Yassin may have gotten a chance he should have taken. He didn't, so now we say, "Next!" Interesting. If true, it might make it a bit more difficult for the next guy to push a cease-fire, as it'll be more than a bit suspect that he's chickening out. Who knows? Who cares? Hamas cease-fires aren't worth much, and Israel has plenty of missiles left, I'm sure.

Posted by Solomon at 9:30 PM on Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004
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