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Hamas from Cradle to Grave

(Middle East Quarterly) Matthew Levitt - Over the past three years, the United States has uncovered just how systematically terrorist groups conceal their activities behind charitable, social, and political fronts. Investigators, faced with the threat posed by al-Qaeda and its many affiliates, have come to appreciate the crucial role played by charities, foundations, and individual donors who funnel support to social service organizations. These same organizations effectively provide recruits, logistics, and cover for terrorists. Some analysts still draw a distinction between the "military" and "political" or "social" wings of Hamas. Does Hamas really have "wings"? Hamas leaders themselves frequently acknowledge the central role that their "political" leaders play in the group's operational decision-making. Hamas military commander Salah Shihada (killed by Israel) stated: "The political apparatus is sovereign over the military apparatus." According to court documents filed by the government of Israel, "the [political] bureau operates as the highest ranking leadership body in the Hamas organization....This bureau has responsibility for directing and coordinating terrorist acts by Hamas against soldiers and civilians in Israel and the territories." The U.S. government has come to share this view. In the Treasury Department's August 2003 announcement designating six senior Hamas political leaders and five charities as terrorist entities, it asserted, "the political leadership of Hamas directs its terrorist networks just as they oversee their other activities." The writer is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2004-02-19 00:00:00
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