Tit For Tat

It looks like the Palestinian territories are getting an old fashioned dose of tribalist tit for tat. I expect this to get to the point where significant events will be announced minute by minute.

A Palestinian Intelligence officer was kidnapped by four gunmen Thursday in retaliation for the arrest of a militant earlier in the day.

Maj. Mohamed Abu Siyam was kidnapped at aproximately 11:30 a.m. as he waited for a taxi in Gaza City, intelligence officials said.

The kidnapping came hours after intelligence officials arrested Hisham Mukhmir of the Popular Resistance Committees, a terrorist group closely linked to Hamas, in connection with the killing Monday of three children of a top security officer.

Popular Resistance Committees spokesman Abu Abir said Abu Siyam would not be released until Mukhmir was freed. This kidnapping "will not be the last. Every intelligence officer should stay at home," he said.

During Mukhmir's arrest Palestinian intelligence officers came under a hail of gunfire in a Gaza City neighborhood in a battle that left three police officers wounded.

The Tuesday attack that left three children dead sparked a new round of internal Palestinian violence and damaged efforts to form a national unity government between the rival Fatah and Hamas groups.

The dead children are such an outrage that organizational protection is being removed from the perpetrators.

Abu Mujahid, a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, said he supported efforts to arrest anyone responsible for the killing.

"Any person found guilty of killing children deserves to be killed in front of the people, even if he belongs to the PRC," he said. "His factional immunity is lifted, and the PRC is ready to help with any investigation."

But Abu Abir, another PRC spokesman, condemned the arrest and demanded Mukhmir be immediately released.

Evidently the sentiment is not unanimous.

This is going to get very ugly before it is over. I wonder how long it will take the Palestinians to ask Israel to intervene.

In the mean time the squeeze is on.

Three Palestinian government cars crossed through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt on Thursday to fetch Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh after Israel finally granted him permission to cross into Gaza but on condition that he left behind the 35 million US dollars he earlier tried to smuggle into the Strip.

An agreement was reached between Israeli and Egyptian security officials whereby the money would remain in the border town of El Arish and then be transferred to the Arab League in Cairo, Israel Radio reported.

The Egyptians guaranteed that the money, seemingly collected by Haniyeh during his recent visits to Iran and Sudan, would not be transferred into the Gaza Strip.

Why would Egypt help the Israelis? Well Iran/Hamas is Shia and Egypt is Sunni. Which is at least one factor in the power play that is going on.

Another element is the siege on Palestine Arabs. Why would Egypt co-operate with that? One good reason is that they don't want Gaza back. The various terrorist organizations have been causing Egypt a lot of trouble with the tourist trade. Perhaps this is their way of divide and conquer. As long as Israel can be blamed.

The Hamas members waiting outside the terminal grew impatient for Haniyeh's return and broke into the compound, shooting in the air. The Palestinian Presidential Guard, responsible for security at the terminal, began firing at them.

Travelers in the terminal lobby ran for cover, some carrying their luggage. Women and children hid behind walls and nearby taxis outside. Three Palestinians were killed in the firefight, channel two reported.

The Hamas members, chanting "God is Great, let's liberate this place," tried to take over the arrival hall and the border guards escorted European monitors to safety.

"There is chaos here," said Wael Dahab, a spokesman for the Presidential Guard.

Somewhat of an understatement.

Once rule of law is not operative, tribal law takes over. Thus every murder, every attack, every slight must be answered in kind. These kinds of fights can go on for centuries.