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Us chastises israel { June 10 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/10/international/middleeast/10CND-POLI.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/10/international/middleeast/10CND-POLI.html
June 10, 2003
U.S. Chastises Israel for Attack on Hamas Leader
By JOEL BRINKLEY
WASHINGTON, June 10 — The White House issued an unusually sharp criticism of Israel today for mounting a rocket attack this morning on a senior Hamas leader in Gaza that left two bystanders dead and seemed likely to set off a new round of violence.
"The president is deeply troubled by the strike of helicopter gunships that reportedly killed at least 2 persons and wounded 20 others," the chief White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said, adding that he feared it would "undermine efforts by Palestinian authorities and others to bring an end to terrorist attacks."
Israel was unapologetic, saying in a statement that the government was "compelled to protect its citizens." But Mr. Fleischer, turning away from the White House's usual formulation following attacks like these — that Israel has a right to protect itself — asserted instead that the attack "does not contribute to the security of Israel."
President Bush has placed himself in the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian situation, vowing to push for a Palestinian state and saying he is "determined to work to make this happen."
As a result, administration officials were particularly irritated, and puzzled, by today's attack because the target, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, lived in the open and could have been the subject of an attack at almost any time in the last few years.
Most attacks of this sort are launched against wanted Palestinians who have been in hiding but momentarily come into Israel's sights by one means or another.
Dr. Rantisi, a frequent spokesman for Hamas, did gain additional notice on Sunday, however, when he and others publicly criticized the summit meeting in Aqaba, Jordan, at which the new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, met with President Bush and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel. Hamas then called off cease-fire talks.
Aides informed President Bush of the attack on Dr. Rantisi early today, the White House said, and soon after, several senior administration called their counterparts in Jerusalem to express Washington's concern. Nonetheless, a few hours later, Israel fired more rockets into a residential area of Gaza, killing 3 more Palestinians and wounding 30.
In the first attack, Dr. Rantisi jumped out of his car as soon as he heard helicopters overhead and sustained leg injuries that were treated at a hospital, the Al Jazeera Arab television channel reported.
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, speaking at a news conference in Buenos Aires, said, "We are concerned that this type of activity will delay the plan of progress we are hoping for as we move down the road map."
Mr. Powell was referring to the fledgling peace process that began with publication last month of an international peace plan, the "road map." It sets out a series of steps culminating in the establishment of a Palestinian state within three years.
The Palestinians accepted the plan, drafted by the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. The Israeli cabinet also voted to accept it, with reservations, and on Monday made a token move toward fulfilling one of its first obligations, dismantling illegally erected settlements. Soldiers tore down a rusty tower that stood adjacent to a West Bank settlement.
But then came today's attack, and to the Bush administration it was particularly provocative. Dr. Rantisi, an Egyptian-trained pediatrician, lives in Gaza with his family and often serves as a spokesman for Hamas, a lifestyle that, he has said, could make him a target of assassination at any time.
A Bush administration official said it was puzzling that the Israeli government would choose to try to kill him now, at an especially sensitive moment. The Palestinian prime minister, Mr. Abbas, has been working to reach a cease-fire agreement with Hamas. But after Mr. Abbas's meeting in Aqaba with President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon, Hamas called off those talks.
"Of course the message is clear: all factions are working together to keep up resistance to the occupation," Dr. Rantisi said on Sunday. "We refuse totally the Aqaba summit. It is a waste of our existence."
Earlier that day, the three main Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas, staged an unusual joint attack on an Israeli Army outpost here, killing four soldiers. Still, Mr. Abbas said he hoped to restart talks soon. He condemned both the attack against Israeli soldiers and Israel's rocket attack today.
Mr. Fleischer said: "What's important in this new environment is for Palestinians and Israelis to find ways to work together on the path to peace."
"In looking at the progress that must be made for the road map and looking at this attack," he added, "the president is deeply troubled by it."
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