Ansar al-Jihad in the Sinai Peninsula has claimed responsibility for the attack.  According to the group, the attack on the pipeline was retaliation for the death of Mohammad Tihi, the group’s leader, in an Egyptian prison on Saturday.

Ma’an News Agency reports that Tihi “masterminded attacks on a police station in el-Arish and carried out bombings of gas pipelines from Egypt to Israel and Jordan.” In addition, “Egyptian authorities accused him [Tihi] of killing a police officer and planning to bomb security offices and other targets.”

Ansar al-Jihad in the Sinai Peninsula announced its formation in late December 2011 and claimed responsibility for a number of the earlier attacks on Egypt’s gas pipeline with Israel. In January, the group swore allegiance to Al-Qaeda’s emir, Ayman al Zawahiri. A US intelligence official told The Long War Journal that “Al Qaeda in the Sinai has been establishing ties with the Gaza-based Salafist groups and is seeking to coordinate operations.” The terrorist group has also claimed responsibility for the attack near Eilat in August, which killed 8 Israelis.

Bill Roggio sums up the worrying situation in the Sinai:

Security in the Sinai Peninsula has deteriorated since the popular uprising last winter that resulted in former President Mubarak’s ouster. Hundreds of Islamists, many from Ayman al Zawahiri’s Egyptian Islamic Group, have been freed from prisons, and some are thought to have returned to support terror groups.

…Many analysts predicted that al Qaeda would be weakened after the death of Osama bin Laden, as Zawahiri is perceived to be unpopular in many jihadist circles. All of al Qaeda’s affiilates, however, including al Qaeda in Iraq, Shabaab, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, have sworn allegiance to Zawahiri. Furthermore, there have been no reports of major disagreements within the jihadist leadership or the rank and file over Zawahiri’s succession to bin Laden’s role as emir.

But if some Muslims have their way, they’ll get it.

US TV Talk show legend David Letterman has become terror target No 1 after Muslim fanatics called for his tongue to be cut out for telling a joke about Osama bin Laden’s death.

The new threat comes from a frequent poster on Islamic jihadist forums, Umar al Basrawi, who implored American Muslims to “cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever,” according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, a non-profit that monitors online jihadists.

The New York Post reports Letterman, who isn’t Jewish, became the object of al-Basrawi’s ire when the late-night funnyman told a joke about the death of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda’s search for his replacement.

“So (al Qaeda) picked a successor to Osama bin Laden and his name was Ilyas Kashmiri,” Letterman said during his opening monologue on June 8th, “well, guess what, he was blown up by an American drone.”

“It wasn’t going to work anyways because they got off to a rocky start with this guy,” Letterman continued, “he botched up the story of Paul Revere.”

Apparently, comparing the dead terrorist to Sarah Palin was one step too many for al-Basrawi, who ended his online rant with, “We ask Allah to paralyze his tongue and grant the sincere monotheists his neck. Oh Allah, amen.”

He then compared Letterman fate to the successful hit of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was called by Islamic radicals in Brooklyn in 1990.

“To the righteous Muslims in America: Isn’t there among you (a man like) Sayyid Nosair, the Egyptian, who can cut off the tongue of this lousy Jew and silence him forever, just like Sayyid – may Allah hasten his release – did to his fellow Jew, (Rabbi Meir) Kahane?” al-Basrawi wrote in a translation provided by MEMRI.

A spokesman for Letterman declined to comment.

Al-Basrawi appears to have an Iraqi identity based on his name, according to MEMRI spokesman Richard Wachtel.

There have been more than 1,200 posts and replies by al-Basrawi on the jihadi-themed Shumoukh online forum, according to MEMRI.

Most of al-Basrawi post’s concerned terror attacks and the jihadi movement in Iraq, Wachtel said.

The FBI did not immediately return a call for comment.

Besides their thin skins, one other thing I love about these jihadists is they are vertiable experts on Jewish lineage. 

Forget about being circumcized and accepting the yoke of Torah. Just insult Jihadists and you have apparently joined the tribe.

When I first heard bin Laden had been killed, I was extremely happy and believed the US had done the right thing.

But on reflection, I think it was a big mistake.

Bin Laden was losing popularity in the Arab world. Had the US and her allies engaged with him and asked him to renounce his jihad against Israel, the US and the West, he may just have agreed to it, heralding a new era of peace. And he could be taken for his word. After all, we are all humans and believe in freedom for all and the honor of upholding your pledges.

Now don’t worry. I have not lost my mind. I don’t believe any of the claptrap I just posted. I’m just making a point.

The US won’t deal with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless the Islamist group reforms, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared on Thursday.

In the wake of the unity deal signed between Hamas and Fatah on Wednesday, Clinton said Hamas must adopt the Quartet principles of recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and respecting treaties previously signed by the Palestinians.

“We’ve made it very clear that we cannot support any government that consists [sic] of Hamas unless and until Hamas adopts the Quartet principles,” Clinton said at a press conference with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, referring to the conditions set by the US, UN, EU and Russia.

Frattini said he, like Clinton, was waiting for further details on the exact nature of the new Palestinian Authority government, but stressed that Italy, too, felt Hamas must comply with the Quartet requirements to be a suitable partner.

“There is no doubt that complying with the principles of the Quartet is a prerequisite before Hamas can be considered by Italy as a potential interlocutor,” he said.

Has everyone lost their mind?!

Update: Someone whose mind we already knew was on the back of milk cartons is Richard Silverstein.

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2011/05/04/as-hamas-fatah-sign-unity-pledge-meshal-calls-for-palestinian-state-in-1967-borders/

The Israeli far-right and its supporters have just suffered another stinging blow in its campaign to smear Hamas as an Al-Qaeda clone (yes, Bibi had the chutzpah to use that no outrageous comparison today).  During the Hamas-Fatah signing ceremony for their unity deal, Hamas’ leader had this to say about his movement’s political goals:

“We will have one authority and one decision,” Mr. Meshal said from the podium. “We need to achieve the common goal: a Palestinian state with full sovereignty on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital, no settlers, and we will not give up the right of return.”

What happened to the blood-curdling calls for the elimination of Israel?  For drinking Jewish blood?  Killing Jewish babies?  Nowhere to be seen.

Even Ethan Bronner, who wrote this story, couldn’t bear losing an opportunity to quote his usual narischkeit about Hamas’ avowed goal of eliminating the Jewish state, when he wrote:

Hamas, the Islamist group that rejects Israel’s existence…

Bronner usually subtly changes the phrasing depending on context.  Note, he couldn’t very well claim as he usually does, that Hamas wishes to destroy the Jewish state, when its chief leader has just essentially said he would accept a Palestinian state in ’67 borders.  So instead, he merely claims that Hamas “rejects Israel’s existence.”  Since Meshal made no statement about Israel, Bronner’s on solid ground, at least in his view.  But the truth is that Hamas doesn’t follow the narrative Bronner and other Israelis have constructed for it.

Now we’ll hear from them that Meshal was slyly concealing his true beliefs in Israel’s demise and telling a world audience what it wanted to hear.

The truth is that Hamas, no matter what we might think of it and how much we dislike its political-theological agenda, is a pragmatic movement.  When it perceives it has something to gain in the long-term, it has shown it can moderate its political agenda.  This happened during the PA election campaign.  And it’s happening now.  Never before has Hamas been treated with respect by the Egyptian government.  Never before has the PA shown real willingness to reconcile and hold new elections.  Never before has the world been closer to declaring a Palestinian state.

This is not to say that Hamas will become a conventional Social Democratic party any time soon.  Nor that we will not read conflicting statements from its leadership on these and other subjects.  But the point is that Hamas, like any political movement, can change when it perceives it has something to gain.  As long as the international community shows Hamas that it does have something to gain, it can expect pragmatism.  But if the General Assembly refuses to recognize Palestine, or Fatah pulls a fast one, or Israel invades Gaza again, we can expect the same old rejectionist Hamas, and we’ll have only ourselves to blame for that.

So on one level, being greeted by the news of Osama bin Laden’s demise this morning may have elicited a reaction from me not in keeping with the day.

On the other hand, his killing represents the death of one of the modern day Hitlers, so the announcement of his death on this of all days is fitting.

Updates (Israel time; latest at top)

10:16PM: An interesting quote from an Israeli politician:

“I am Israel’s sharpest critic of Obama, and I don’t want him to be in power, but I could tolerate Obama as long as he targets people like Osama. Obama in the past gave breathing space and support to the terrorists due to his naivete, but if he returns America to [former president George W] Bush’s policies of fighting terror, I have no problem with him.”

These words were spoken by Deputy Negev and Galilee Development Minister Ayoub Kara – who happens to be Druze.

10:15PM: Bin Laden may have used his wife as a human shield.

5:50PM: Further to my 1:20PM update, here are some reactions to Israel’s targeted killed of Hamashole Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in 2004.

The White House said Monday it was “deeply troubled” by Israel’s assassination of Yassin.

“We are deeply troubled by this morning’s actions in Gaza,” White House Scott McClellan said.

—-

The European Union and other countries condemned Israel’s killing of Yassin as a violation of international law that has further “inflamed” tensions in the Middle East.

5:40PM: Heh (via Benji).

5:35PM: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

3:45PM: Jim reminds me I have been neglectful. So here he is:

2:55PM: Oops!

2:22PM: Hamas has condemned the “assassination” of an “Arab holy warrior.” (hat tip: Shy Guy)

1:40PM: Meet the guy who unwittingly live-tweeted the operation against bin Laden.

1:20PM: Blogger David B writes what I was thinking after I heard the news (besides “Yippeee!”)

I hate to rain on anyone’s parade… and make no mistake, the death of Osama Bin Laden is certainly parade-worthy… but I find the international chorus of congratulations being offered to the US over the successful termination of this terrorist leader to be just a tad hypocritical.

After all:

1. It was an extra-judicial killing.
2. The operation entailed the violation of another country’s sovereignty.
3. The attack risks perpetuating the ‘cycle of violence’ (there will certainly be revenge attacks on US targets and targets belonging to most/all of the countries offering congratulations).
4. There were almost certainly others killed in the attack. Is there irrefutable proof that they were combatants?

I mention these uncomfortable, inconvenient facts because when Israel hunts down and kills known/proven terrorists, we are soundly condemned for it.

I guess this is just one more lesson in paternalism that we have to swallow from the US; ‘do as I say… not as I do’.

1:18PM: Meanwhile, bin Laden is now swimming with the fishes. Literally.

1:15PM: PA spokesman Ghassan Khatib:

“Getting rid of bin Laden is good for the cause of peace worldwide but what counts is to overcome the discourse and the methods — the violent methods — that were created and encouraged by bin Laden and others in the world.”

And who are these “others in the world” he speaks of, pray tell?

Clue: He needn’t look far.

9:55AM: Did you know that Hitler’s death was also announced on May1st? (1945)

9:20AM: More on how bin Laden was found, which includes this paragraph:

Officials said they will take care with bin Laden’s body.

“We are assuring it is handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition,” an official said. “We take this very seriously. This is being handled in an appropriate manner.”

Call me old school, but I think his body should be wrapped in pigskin and dog drool.

But dare suggest they have allowed Al Qaida to operate in Gaza, and they get their panties in a knot.*

Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardawil reiterated Wednesday the movement’s insistence that there was no Al-Qaeda presence in the Gaza Strip, after an Israeli security official said there were some 500 active “militant activists” operating in the territory.

On Tuesday, head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security organization Yuval Diskin told a parliamentary committee that the multinational network of militant Islamist groups was most likely behind some of the latest violence from Gaza.

“There are about 500 militant activists that identify with this idea there, and some are in touch with Al-Qaida’s regional command,” the official said.

But Bardawil said that “The aim of these Israeli statements is to create animosity between Hamas, the Palestinians in Gaza and the Western world.”

“Such statements are not new, they get reproduced not and again to create animosity,” he said, adding that the claims that Al-Qaeda is getting deeper into Gaza “borders on incitement.”

Because Hamas’ own actions have not already created animosity with the West.

* So to speak

While the palestinians are claiming it was the result of an Israel airstrike, Israel has denied this. Given that the IDF has no compunctions about announcing such operations, my spidey senses are telling me someone had a work accident.

Either way, here’s hoping he’s gone into the fertilizer business.

Updates (Israel time; most recent at top)

9:46PM: Here’s the Amar’e Stoudemire interview to which I linked earlier.

9:42PM: AP report on this morning’s work accident, followed by the apparently less important story of the rocket attack on Eilat.

9:24PM: Article of the day: 8 Reasons Leftists Should be Pro-Israel

6:05PM: Israel seems to have launched a campaign to attract more British tourists.

4:36PM: A Jordanian man has died of wounds sustained in this morning’s rocket attack.

Notice how Jordan refer to it as a “terror attack” since it hit them, but are not normally condemning such attacks on Israel.

4:30PM: Photo of the day:

That’s NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire, here in Israel discovering his roots.

Click here to see him talk about being in Israel, his spiritual course, and the prospects of him playing for the Israeli national basketball team (click on video).

Meanwhile, here he is visiting Yad Vashem.

3:55PM: Mazal tov, ‘Dawson’!

1:04PM: Egypt has denied the rockets were fired from its territory.

No rockets were launched from the Sinai,” said Egyptian sources. “To launch rockets from Egypt, it takes equipment and complicated logistical preparations. It is impossible, since the Sinai Peninsula has heavy security.”

Ah yes, that much vaunted Egyptian security that has allowed Al Qaeda to set up shop in the Sinai, but has proven rather adept at shooting African refugees.

9:25AM: Ynet has corrected their news update to “4 wounded”, and not “5 killed.”

9:18AM: There are reports that at least 4 Jordanians were wounded in the rocket attack. Ynet’s news updates page mentions 5 Jordanians killed, but when you click on the report, it instead mentions 4 injured.

8:55AM: BREAKING NEWS: Terrorists fired 5 Katushya rockets at Eilat around an hour ago. Israeli security forces believe at least three of the rockets struck the Red Sea, while the other two exploded in open areas near the city. Jordanian authorities said one landed at the entrance to the InterContinental Hotel in Amman. So far, there are no reports of injury or damage.

Like last time terrorists fired rockets at Eilat (last year), it is unclear whether they fired them from Jordan or Egypt

6:02AM: In an indication as to how much Hamas appreciates the anti-Israel positions of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, head Hamashole Ismail Haniyeh has named his grandson…Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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(hat tip: Mark)

The first Guantanamo Bay detainee brought to America for a civilian trial said today that he’ll boycott the proceedings if he has to undergo strip searches before coming to court.

“Yes, I understand my right to be here…Can I waive my right of strip searching?” alleged al Qaeda terrorist Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani said this morning in Manhattan federal court.

The former bodyguard to Osama bin Laden, who’s charged in the 1998 African embassy bombings that killed 224 people, claims that jailhouse inspections of his anal area cause flashbacks of alleged torture by the CIA.

“He told me it eats his soul. He’s terrified of going through it,” defense team member Anna Sideris testified today.

Sideris, who meets with Ghailani several times a week, said “he doesn’t want to come to court if it means he has to go though that specific search,” which was described as “sqautting nude and spreading his butt cheeks.”

Ghailani appeared to smile nervously as the process was explained.

“Even if it means spending the rest of his life in jail, he doesn’t want to go through this,” Sideris said.

Ghailani declined to testify, but was questioned at length by Judge Lewis Kaplan about his right to appear in court and the possible harm to his case if he doesn’t attend the trial.

I think he’s missing the point. Spending the rest of his life in jail will only make things worse for his anal area.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit referred to Israel as an “enemy” during a press conference in Beirut on Saturday.

Aboul Gheit said concerns expressed by Israel and the United States on the alleged transfer of Scud missiles from Syria to Hezbollah were “ridiculous”.

“Anyone who is familiar with the (Scud) missile knows that it cannot be smuggled or concealed,” he said.

Following talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Foreign Minister ‘Ali Al-Shami, Aboul Gheit was asked whether he was visiting Beirut in order to convey a warning from Israel.

The Egyptian minister said in response that the purpose of his trip was not to relay messages “from the enemy to a sister Arab state.”

Aboul Gheit also said Cairo would stand by Lebanon and Syria in case they were attacked.

His statement made the headlines of a number of Arab newspapers, including the London-based Al Hayat and Asharq Al-Awsat, Saudi daily Al-Madina and Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai.

The Egyptian press chose to play down the minister’s comment.

An official in Jerusalem told Ynet that Israel deems the remark “very harsh.“

Don’t we know it.

Peace!

Updates (Israel time; most recent at top)

11:08PM: United States National Security Adviser James Jones has landed himself in hot water over a Jewish joke.

United States National Security Adviser James L. Jones apologized Monday for telling a Jewish joke last week at an event in Washington, saying that it distracted the audience from the message that the U.S. was committed to Israel’s security.

“I wish that I had not made this off the cuff joke at the top of my remarks,” Jones said, adding that “I apologize to anyone who was offended by it.”

“It [the joke] also distracted from the larger message I carried that day: That the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security is sacrosanct,” Jones said.

The off-color joke told during the ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, depicted a Jewish merchant who managed to trick a thirsty Taliban militant into buying a tie, when in fact he was interested in purchasing water.

There are many in the blogosphere who posit the joke is antisemitic. I would tend to disagree. I am honestly not offended by the joke, and feel that many who are assume Jones must be antisemitic since he works for President Obama (who they would argue is also antisemitic). Although I do agree the joke was unwise.

For an excellent analysis, see here.

6:16PM: Headline of the day: Oy!

5:46PM: Video footage from yesterday’s palestinian-instigated Silwan clashes, including the Neturei Karta rock thrower  (see 5:58AM update).

Also of note: “Death to the Jews” chants, which presumably did not make the Neturei Karta feel uncomfortable. (Then again, neither does running around in those suits and kaffiyehs).

4:58PM: Ma’an reports that palestine’s oldest woman has died at 117.

Her husband remains alive at 115.

Which begs the question: if Israel truly treated the palestinians so badly and engaged in ethnic cleansing, how could this be?

1:45PM: Another senior Hamashole will be marinating the worms tonight.

Israeli army special forces on Monday stormed a house in Beit Awa south of Hebron, killing a senior Hamas militant.

IDF troops laid siege to a house early on Monday morning where Ali Sweiti, wanted for killing an IDF Border Guard six years ago, was holed up.

Sweiti refused demands to surrender and opened fire on soldiers surrounding the house, the army said, adding that Israeli troops had returned fire.

Sweiti was apparently crushed to death after an IDF bulldozer was sent in the midst of the fire fight to demolish his house.

Sweiti is thought to have planned an attack in which of Border Policeman Cpl. Yaniv Mashiah was killed on April 25 2004.

Mashiah, 20, was killed and three others lightly wounded an hour after the beginning of Memorial Day for Israel’s fallen soldiers when shots were fired at their vehicle near Hebron.

A statement released by the army later Monday said that Sweiti, born in Beit Awa in 1968, was reponsible for five shooting attacks and a bombing between 1999 and 2004.

Sweiti escaped an earlier attempt to arrest him in February 2007, the army said

Meanwhile, the IDF has released the following photo of the dead Hamashole:

Just saying.

9:15AM: Al Qaeda terrorists have been examining the possibility of exploiting Israel’s humanitarianism, by infiltrating Israel disguised as Somali refugees crossing the border from Egypt or even as new immigrants from Ethiopia, as evidenced by a letter sent by them to members of a Salafist group in Gaza that is opposed to Hamas.

“Is there a possibility of infiltrating brothers from Somalia to Tel Aviv under the guise of immigrants from Ethiopia. You told us that there are Jews from Africa who emigrate to Israel through the Egyptian border [the writer confuses refugees and immigrants - Z.B.].

Also of note: the letter makes very clear that the so-called “occupation” of lands after the 1967 war is not what is bothering the terrorists.

Regarding what you mentioned in your message about us, we would like to emphasize an important issue, that your brothers in Yemen do not forget the cause of Al-Aqsa and our brethren in Palestine, all of Palestine, and there is no difference in our eyes between one and another area.

They object to all of Israel, and handing over more land will just make their job easier.

5:58AM: Useful idiot of the day: You needn’t look past this member of the anti-Israel Neturei Karta sect, who decided to engage in some rock throwing of his own.

ADDING INFORMATION TO CAPTION A member of Neturei Karta, a fringe of ultra-Orthodox movement within the anti-Zionist bloc in Israel, talks with a masked Palestinian youth as he shows his support during clashes with Israeli police in the Arab east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan on April 25, 2010. Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli police as dozens of ultra-nationalist Jews carried Israeli flags through Silwan to assert Jewish sovereignty of all of Jerusalem, according to the organisers of the march. AFP PHOTO/MENAHEM KAHANA (Photo credit should read MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)

Running around in the heat and throwing rocks – besides the obvious danger of the rocks, I’m willing to bet his body odor was capable of causing great harm.

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PLASTIC surgeons using explosive-laden breast implants in homicide bombers could be a new terror Al-Qaeda tactic that airport scanning methods may miss.

Terrorists are being fitted with exploding breast implants which are almost impossible to detect, British spies have reportedly discovered.

The shocking new Al Qaeda tactic involves radical doctors inserting the explosives in women’s breasts during plastic surgery – making them “virtually impossible to detect by the usual airport scanning machines.”

It is believed the doctors have been trained at some of Britain’s leading teaching hospitals before returning to their own countries to perform the surgical procedures.

MI5 has also discovered that extremists are inserting the explosives into the buttocks of some male bombers.

“Women suicide bombers recruited by Al Qaeda are known to have had the explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast enhancing surgery,” Terrorist expert Joseph Farah claims.

The lethal explosives called PETN are inserted inside plastic shapes during the operation, before the breast is then sewn up.

I wonder how many Hollywood actresses will be signing up.

Update: Sorry, I can’t resist.