[Ha'aretz] Avi Issacharoff - Only six months ago, Hamas was still collaborating with the Army of Islam, the name taken on by the bandit Dughmush clan. Hamas used Dughmush gunmen as contract killers against Fatah (in the murder of Mousa Arafat), for the launching of Kassam rockets against Israel while declaring it was adhering to a cease-fire, and for the abduction of Gilad Shalit. The leader of the Army of Islam, Mumtaz Dughmush, used to spend time with the heads of the Hamas military wing. After it took over Gaza, Hamas needed proof for the international community that its intentions are serious about restoring calm, so on Wednesday Hamas delivered kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston. Gaza is becoming increasingly calm, stemming from the scare tactics and the force utilized by Hamas. For some Gaza residents, the quiet reminds them of the calm of a cemetery.
2007-07-05 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive