The founder of Hamas said in an interview published on Saturday that the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement would continue to use suicide bombings against Israel.
Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, spiritual leader of Hamas, also told Kuwait's al-Qabas daily that Hamas had many requests from Palestinian youths to carry out suicide bombings, including females whom he described as "reserve soldiers in the long battle."
He stated suicide bombings were one of the "forms of resistance open against the enemy."
When asked about a call by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to stop suicide bombings, Yassin added: "Hamas always considers the higher interests of the Palestinian people...We have in the past stopped martyrdom operations against the enemy.
"But they did not stop their killing of our people, our leaders and officials. That is why we are no longer obligated by our previous initiative."
Yassin told the Kuwaiti newspaper that Hamas backs Arafat as long as he continues to reject "to bow to the dictations" of Israel and the United States and does not become a "fighter" against resistance movements.
Hamas does not "like" targeting civilians, he said, but the suicide bombings were only a response to similar Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians.
Israelis are all soldiers "dressed in civilian clothes who only yesterday were officers in military outfits in their units...," Yassin added. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
