MEMRI -- Hamas tried to kill Abbas

Today will be a "hit-and-run" sort of day while we continue to pour over the new immigration bill. So, if some of these posts seem short, sweet, and to the point, that's what we wanted to do. The bill has to be read through, so this is taking a secondary position today.

But that doesn't mean that we won't cover the news, and this qualifies as such. MEMRI has the still images and the link to the clip on YouTube. It seems that Hamas wanted to kill Abbas. From MEMRI:

Mahmoud Abbas in a television address on June 20, accused Hamas of trying to assassinate him when he planned a visit to Gaza a month ago, digging a tunnel under a road where his car was to pass and by filling it with 250 kilograms of explosives. He said he received videotapes of the operation, showing armed groups with Hamas signs on their shirts carrying out the preparation of the assassination.

So much for the hope that the Palestinians have settled down. We should have known better. And it's interesting to note that Hamas isn't willing to let their mouthpiece stick around. Of course, I'd personally keep anyone's nose out of this one until Israel deals with Hamas and Fatah. A simple solution, and one that may not be entirely correct, would be to go back into Gaza. I say it's not likely the right solution because Hamas is waiting for that. They're waiting for the first Israeli incursion into Gaza so they trap the Israelis there.

Hamas isn't playing games anymore, and unless the Israelis are going into Gaza with overwhelming force, this will be a replay of the Hezbollah/Israeli conflict from last year. Olmert will run the conflict half-heartedly, and get a lot of good people killed.

Publius II