New York, Mar 16: US intelligence officials have expressed fears of retaliatory attacks by Hamas on American citizens and its facilities if Washington launched a war on Iraq. CIA and FBI officials have concurred that the Palestinian militant outfit, which has so far limited its attacks to Israeli targets, is most likely to attempt violence on US bases and Americans in Israel and the Middle East, according to a report in the 'Time' magazine.
Not ruling out an attack in the US, a senior Bush administration official said, "you can't rule out their doing something in this country." The heightened concern was sparked by the declarations of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, Hamas' spiritual leader, who denounced Washington's threats to disarm Iraq by force as "a new crusade against the Muslim nation."
Yassin's call for Muslims worldwide to "strike western interests ... Everywhere" marked a sharp departure from his movement's long-held belief that attacks on Americans would undercut Palestinian hopes of keeping US pressure on Israel, the report said. With Yassin's outburst last month, Hamas followers have been freed up to do more than Israelis, the US official said adding, "and they're here."
Time said, FBI agents suspect that there are Hamas sympathizers among the 1,000 Islamic extremists they are monitoring in the US.
Bureau Report