(Time) Tony Karon - Tempting the wrath of the superpower has not been considered a prudent political course even among the radical Islamist Palestinians. After the Gaza bombing, the pressure on the likes of Hamas and Islamic Jihad will be overwhelming. The PA has vowed to investigate the attack with the help of the FBI. Such a probe could prove uncomfortable, given the fact that the attackers appear to have been aware of the schedule of the American convoy. The U.S. will now brook no further excuses from the PA for failing to go to war on the radical groups. But with Palestinian politics is disarray, the ability of the PA to carry out an effective crackdown is far from certain. Washington's call for all U.S. personnel to leave Gaza suggests an expectation that there may be more to come, and that Gaza, and possibly the West Bank, may become a new front in America's war on terrorism.
2003-10-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive