Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cbclark4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qassam_rocket

The Qassam rocket (also Kassam) is a simple home-made steel rocket filled with explosives, produced by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas. Three models have been used. Although they are sometimes erroneously referred to as missiles, they are free-flight artillery rockets lacking any guidance system.

[just alittlecrazy]

[ddeubel]

An excellent article in today's N.Y. Time's magazine about Hamas and especially, the conversion of one Palestinian, Khaled Abu Hilal. Very interesting, thorough and compelling journalism.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/magazine/15HAMAS-t.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fOrganizations%2fF%2fFatah%2c%20Al&oref=slogin

[cbclark4]

Palestinians pledge to halt attacks


Dozens of Palestinian fighters have made a rare pledge to halt attacks on Israel.

In return, they would be taken off that country's wanted list.

The pledge comes a day before Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, is due to meet Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister.

Israel handed the Palestinians a list of 189 fighters, most of whom are from Abbas's Fatah party, saying it would stop hunting them if they pledged to stop activities against it.

"All of the 189 people included on the list handed in by Israel" have signed, a Palestinian security official said.

Zakaria Zubeidi, leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the northern West Bank town of Jenin, is included in the list.

Zubeidi told AFP news agency that all Al-Aqsa fighters on the list "have signed a pledge to stop their attacks against Israel."

"The Al-Aqsa Brigades will not be an obstacle to any political project to solve the Palestinian question in a just manner."

Israel has said that if the men respect their promise for three months, and not leave West Bank areas, their names will be removed from its wanted list.

The amnesty is the latest gesture by Israel to strengthen Abbas after forces loyal to him were overrun in Gaza by Hamas a month ago.

"There are no other ways of helping Mahmoud Abbas except to allow modifications in the list of wanted Palestinians," said Matan Vilnai, Israel's deputy defence minister.


http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8792C0CD-38D7-41C2-918B-4719FA428568.htm

[just alittlecrazy]

this article, that appeared in today�s korea herald, gives some good background to the divisions within the palestinian arab movements.

[contrarian]

The deal might last for about a month.

[cbclark4]

Rivals battle at Gaza protest

Hamas security forces have broken up a demonstration by hundreds of Gaza residents loyal to the Fatah faction of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president.

Members of the Executive Force fired shots into the air and briefly detained a number of journalists on Friday in Gaza City.

The protesters chanted pro-Fatah slogans as they marched along the streets, applauding as others smashed an unmanned Hamas post at the side on the road.

Rocks were thrown at a security compound commandeered by Hamas when they took full control of the territory after street battles in June.

Fatah had called for its supporters to assemble at the Unknown Soldier square as a peaceful protest against Hamas's control of the Gaza Strip, but the gathering turned into a rally.


http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4D835433-961B-4F03-A764-B34804E0D2D5.htm

[cbclark4]

Fighters killed at Gaza crossing

Two Palestinian fighters have been shot dead while attempting to cross into Israel from the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli soldier was also wounded when fighting broke out on Saturday after the two fighters opened fire on an Israeli office at the Erez border crossing in the north of the territory.

A Israeli spokesman confirmed that soldiers from the Golani regiment shot the two Palestinians.

The Popular Resistance Committees and a group linked to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) claimed responsibility for what they call a "joint attack on Israeli territory".

The dead men were identified as Khader Aokal, 22, a fighter from the Popular Resistance Committees, and Mohammed Saker, 22, from the DFLP.

A spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees in Gaza said that the fighters had intended to enter the Israeli community of Netiv Haasara, north of the Gaza frontier fence.

The two groups, along with a third, have also claimed responsibility for an attack in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday during which two Palestinian fighters were killed by Israeli troops.

An Israeli army spokesman said the men used a ladder to scale the fence and a rope to lower themselves to the ground before making their way to the Israeli military's co-ordination office.


http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/648D8D47-6C95-4112-9F48-B7FECFD5693A.htm

[cbclark4]

Abbas calls for Hamas overthrow


Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has called for the overthrow
of Hamas in Gaza.

Abbas stopped short of urging an uprising, but appeared to be trying to
capitalise on growing discontent with Hamas in Gaza which is facing
increasing poverty from sanctions.

It was his first explicit demand that Hamas be ousted since the group
seized power in the coastal territory in the summer.

His tough words followed Hamas's firing on a huge Fatah rally in Gaza
City on Monday, which killed eight civilians and wounded dozens.

Grip tightened

In the speech on Thursday, Abbas said: "We have to bring down this
bunch, which took over Gaza with armed force, and is abusing the
sufferings and pains of our people."

An Abbas aide said the president was not calling for a popular revolt
against the group, rather reacting passionately to the bloodshed in Gaza
City.

Despite Abbas's words, he has little influence in Gaza where Hamas has
taken new steps to cement its grip on the territory since the rally.

It has rounded up more than 400 Fatah activists and announced media
restrictions and plans to limit public gatherings.

Hamas scorn

Hamas condemned Abbas's comments and accused him of selling out the
Palestinian people in peace talks with Israel.

A formal relaunching of negotiations is set to take place later this month
at a US-sponsored summit that is also meant to bolster Abbas in his
struggle with Hamas.

In a televised speech on Thursday, Ismail Haniya, the deposed Hamas
prime minister, said: "Hamas is hard to break, and it is beyond being
wiped out or eliminated. We are people whom without us things can't be
finalised."

Haniya said there would be an "honest, fair and transparent" committee
to investigate the events at the rally, and that Fatah activists arrested
there would be released, except for those directly involved in inciting
violence.

Heavy toll

Five months of Hamas rule and crushing international sanctions have
taken a heavy toll on already impoverished Gaza, and the hardship
helped drive the Fatah rally, which drew about 250,000 people on
Monday.

Abbas's call for overthrowing Hamas coincides with his efforts to bridge
differences with Israel ahead of the summit in Annapolis, Maryland.

Abbas said in his speech that his government was "working relentlessly"
to make the summit a "decisive-launching pad" for establishing a
Palestinian state.

But he demanded that Israel halt all settlement construction, release
Palestinian prisoners and end its killing of suspected Palestinian fighters.

Abbas was speaking on the 19th anniversary of the Palestinian
declaration of independence at a meeting in Algeria.




http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A63A98CF-BEB2-4142-8D68-786D283A2936.htm