"New Hamas Chief Backs Off Threats Against U.S."

Reuters News Service

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Hamas has no plans to attack American targets, the
group's new leader in Gaza said today, backing off earlier threats against
Washington following Israel's assassination of its founder. Abdel Aziz
Rantisi told reporters in Gaza that his group's militant activities are
aimed solely at Israel. "We are inside Palestinian land and acting only
inside Palestinian land. We are resisting the occupation, nothing else,"
Rantisi said. "Our resistance will continue just inside our border here
inside our country."Hamas had issued veiled threats against the United States -- something it
rarely does -- after the death of its spiritual leader, Sheik Ahmed Yassin,
in an Israeli air strike on Monday. It issued a statement saying America's
backing of Israel made the assassination possible. "All the Muslims of the
world will be honored to join in on the retaliation for this crime," Hamas
said in a statement.

President Bush said after the statement that the United States takes the
threat seriously.

Rantisi was named the new leader of Hamas in its Gaza Strip stronghold on
Tuesday. The group's overall leader, Khaled Mashal, heads its political
bureau in Damascus, Syria.

Israel holds Hamas responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people in
suicide bombings and has marked the group's entire leadership for death.
Rantisi said today that he is not afraid of the death threats.