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|  | Johnston Photo: AP
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| | | | | Hamas gunman in Gaza Photo: AFP
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 Hamas 'threatened Johnston's captors'
Al-Qaeda group which kidnapped BBC reporter says it has been threatened by Hamas
Yaakov Lappin
Hamas has issued a threat to Tawhid al-Jihad, the Palestinian al-Qaeda-affiliated group which kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston, according to a global jihad website.
| Reporter Speaks |
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| BBC Gaza reporter says treated well by captors / Associated Press |
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(VIDEO) In video posted online kidnapped British reporter says being treated well by captors, blames Israel for Palestinians' suffering and Britain for Mideast policy |
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The forum member added that the threat was "backed up by (Hamas politburo head) Khaled Mashaal."
According to the post, Hamas also threatened to encircle Tahwid al-Jihad, lay a siege to the group, and to eliminate it from the Gaza strip, if Johnston was not released.
"After Hamas and the al-Qassam Brigades threw out the security services (Fatah), people awaited an announcement from them on the establishment of an Islamic state, as was the case in Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan," Abu Musab wrote.
"This (Hamas's threat and demand for Johnston's release) indicates that the dream of Islamic shriah rule (in Gaza) has evaporated," he added.
The latest apparent rise in tensions between Hamas and al-Qaeda come after a number of statements from Al-Qaeda leaders, who accused Hamas of abandoning global jihadi ideology in favor of secular nationalist goals.
But al-Qaeda's accusations are actually part of a technique to encourage Hamas to become more radical, an expert on Islamic affairs told Ynetnews.
Professor Moshe Sharon, who teaches Islamic History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said observers should not be fooled into thinking that Hamas and al-Qaeda are enemies.
"What's happening is that Al Qaeda is telling Hamas to do more," Sharon said.
"They are just urging Hamas on, telling them that they are not doing enough," he added.
"Hamas and al-Qaeda share totally the same ideology and aims. From the moment Israel left Gaza, it has turned into a frontline base for al-Qaeda," Sharon said.
He added that Hamas needed to be connected to al-Qaeda, and would use its access to the Sinai Peninsula to strengthen those connections, which stretch from Sinai back to Saudi Arabia, al-Qaeda's ideological base.
"We are in unusual danger, due to the global Sunni terror, and Gaza, where Hamas and al-Qaeda are strategically in full cooperation," Sharon added.
Sharon also said Iran's involvement in Gaza indicated that the "the forces of messianic Shiism" were also active on Israel's borders. Though in competition with one another, the Shiite and Sunni camps shared the same immediate goal of destroying Israel and ridding the region of American influence, he added.
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