This is the group that Jimmy Carter thinks we should negotiate with. Their tactics were apparently learned in the Saddam Hussein School of Government:
The near-perfect public order that reigned in Gaza this week can be attributed, at least in part, to the fear Hamas struck into residents’ hearts last week, during the Strip’s civil war. Testimony collected from the days of fighting indicates that Hamas imposed a methodical system of terror and scare tactics intended to deter, shock and frighten Fatah operatives and Gaza residents in general.
It began on a Monday 11 days ago, when a Fatah man was tossed off a multi-story building in the Strip; it subsequently came to light that Hamas operatives managed to shoot him in the legs before throwing him to his death. Although this method was used on only one other Fatah operative, it had the desired effect and became the talk of the town. A number of Fatah leaders, who knew that their names appeared on Hamas hit lists, decided to make their exit, with some heading to Ramallah and others crossing into Egypt.
[…] Hamas was not using a random hit list. Every Hamas patrol carried with it a laptop containing a list of Fatah operatives in Gaza, and an identity number and a star appeared next to each name. A red star meant the operative was to be executed and a blue one meant he was to be shot in the legs – a special, cruel tactic developed by Hamas, in which the shot is fired from the back of the knee so that the kneecap is shattered when the bullet exits the other side. A black star signaled arrest, and no star meant that the Fatah member was to be beaten and released. Hamas patrols took the list with them to hospitals, where they searched for wounded Fatah officials, some of whom they beat up and some of whom they abducted.
Aside from assassinating Fatah officials, Hamas also killed innocent Palestinians, with the intention of deterring the large clans from confronting the organization. Thus it was that 10 days ago, after an hours-long gun battle that ended with Hamas overpowering the Bakr clan from the Shati refugee camp – known as a large, well-armed and dangerous family that supports Fatah – the Hamas military wing removed all the family members from their compound and lined them up against a wall. Militants selected a 14-year-old girl, two women aged 19 and 75, and two elderly men, and shot them to death in cold blood to send a message to all the armed clans of Gaza.
I cannot believe that I am actually hoping the Durmush clan manages to hold off Hamas. Not that I think they will. Hamas will use RPGs on their homes, not caring if they kill non-combatants, because that is, apparently, the way of Islamic fanaticism.
I think I missed a step in my post about how to initiate a dictatorship: I forgot to elaborate on “Terrorize the populace into submission.” Hamas has successfully managed that.
It is times like this when I join in Mark Twain’s loathing of the human race, or at least, of certain parts of it.
Considering that Fatah would have done the same thing, perhaps we should hope that our Western politicians grow some backbones.
That is how you rule in the Arab world, murder, massacre and kleptocracy to satisfy the gunmen who keep you in power. In Iraq we are trying to midwife halfway decent, consensual government. If the Iraqis cannot restrain their passions to contrive some such government, they will end with another dictator, who will do on a larger scale what Hamas has just done. That was how Saddam ruled, that is how the Dorktator rules (and Daddy, remember Hama), and if Mubarak needed to do it that is how he would rule.
Sounds a lot like Joe Stalin to me. Hey, if you have to steal ideas, steal from the best.
Saddam was a great admirer of Ole Joe Djugashvili.