!-->HoloFRaSe

posted by Sander : 13:23 [print]

"They have tried to kill Sheikh Ahmed Yassin before ... I would like to say to them: We do not fear death threats. We are seekers of martyrdom."
- Sheik Ahmed Yassin, 17 januari 2004

Israeli helicopters have killed Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as he left prayers at dawn in Israel's highest profile assassination of a Palestinian in nearly 16 years.
Israel kills Hamas leader - 22 maart 2004 09:20

Angry Arabs and Muslims have called for revenge and have predicted a wave of violence in response to Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin.
Yassin killing enrages Arabs - 22 maart 2004, 11:19

Andere reacties:

BRITAIN: Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary: "It is unacceptable. It is unjustified and it is very unlikely to achieve its objective. A measurable restraint is required and I don't believe Israel will benefit from the fact that this morning an (elderly man) in a wheelchair has been the target of assassination"

FRANCE: Herve Ladsous, foreign ministry spokesman: "France condemns the action taken against Sheikh Yassin, just as it has always condemned the principle of any extra-judicial execution as contrary to international law. The attack bears a serious risk of increasing tensions in the whole of the region."

FRANCE: Dominique de Villepin, Foreign Minister: "At a time when it is so important to mobilise ourselves to advance the peace process, such acts can only feed the spiral of violence"

RUSSIA: Alexander Yakovenko, Foreign Ministry spokesman: "Moscow is deeply concerned about the situation. It threatens a new wave of violence which could sabotage efforts to restart negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis by the 'quartet' of international mediators and key regional powers."

GERMANY: Joschka Fischer, Foreign Minister: "The situation is that everything must be done so that further escalation can be avoided. The government is deeply concerned about this development."

EU: Javier Solana, Foreign policy chief: "This type of action does not contribute at all to create the conditions of peace. This is very, very bad news for the peace process. The policy of the European Union has been consistently condemnation of extra-judicial killing"

UNITED STATES: Lou Fintor, State Department spokesman: "The United States urges all sides to remain calm and exercise restraint."

JAPAN: Yasuo Fukuda, Chief Cabinet Secretary: "We strongly fear that this incident will intensify violent activities on the part of Palestinian extremists and others, and trigger a chain of violence. Our country strongly requests that the Israeli government exercise maximum self-restraint and seeks to calm the situation."

HAMAS: Abdel Aziz Rantisi, prominent Hamas activist: "Yassin is a man in a nation, and a nation in a man. And the retaliation of this nation will be of the size of this man"

AL-AQSA MARTYRS BRIGADES: "War, war, war on the sons of Zion. An eye for an eye. There will be a response within hours, God willing"

ISRAEL: Zeev Boim, Deputy Defence Minister: "Sheikh Yassin deserved to die for all the terrorist attacks committed by Hamas"

ISRAELI OPPOSITION: Yossi Beilin, opposition politician: "The Pandora's box has been opened. We are counting down to the next terror attack and the question is how many Israelis will be killed."

FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Benjamin Netanyahu: "Even if in the short term there will be a harsh response from Hamas, which is definitely possible, in the long term the effect will be to rein in Hamas and the rest of the terror organisations."

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: Statement: "Israel has exceeded all red lines with this cheap and dirty crime."

PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS: Ahmed Ali, a worshipper at the mosque where Yassin prayed: "The Israelis should pay from their blood, the blood of their leaders, soldiers, settlers and civilians. We care no more about civilian deaths on the Israeli side"

maandag, maart 22, 2004