1 week after the Palestinian elections....
 

Does anyone still think having Hamas, one of the world's most notorious terrorist organizations, in power in Palestine is a "good thing" or that it will bring peace to their region anytime soon?....

Consider this latest tidbit:

o Recognition for Israel

A top Hamas official says that despite mounting international pressure in the wake of their sweeping victory in the Palestinian election, the radical Islamic group will never recognize the state of Israel. In a letter to an Arabic newspaper, political leader Khaled Meshaal writes, "we will never recognize the legitimacy of the Zionist state that was established on our land."

But Meshaal, who is based in Syria, says Hamas might be willing to negotiate a temporary truce with the Jewish state. Israel's Foreign Ministry dismissed the letter reiterating its demands that Hamas unequivocally recognize Israel's right to exist and abandon its terrorist activities and infrastructure.


Mike

My ignorance of the subject is fairly comprehensive, but I will put in my 2 cents.

Now that Hamas is in charge of running a country, they might not have time to blow things up. Throwing bombs is one thing, making the trains run on time is real work.

The Washington Post had a great cartoon on the opinion page today. I wish I could find a link to it. It has a middle eastern looking guy standing at a copier that has just malfunctioned. He is screaming, "Death to the Great Satan who failed to replace the toner!" (that's close, anyway). The caption is something about Hamas adjusting to being in charge of the government.

They are probably as surprised as anyone that they now run the country. Maybe it will be good for them.

Now that Hamas is in freely elected goverment of the Palestinian people, the next time a Hamas sponsored sucide bomber blows himself/herself up is it state sponsored terrorism? And if it is terrorism, does'nt that pretty much free Israel to respond in pretty much anyway it chooses.

I'm not willing to dismiss them just yet. I agree that now that Hamas is in charge of the government they may have less time and inclination to sponsor suicide bombings. A lot will depend on Israel's actions. While their rhetoric hasn't changed, notice that they discouraged their citizens from engaging in violence in response to those cartoons and people mostly obeyed. That's a positive sign that perhaps they're maturing and they're in control, unlike Fatah. Don't forget they're not the only terrorist organization, but they're the most powerful one over there. There's also the Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade which is related to Fatah, yet Fatah wasn't able to control it. So far Hamas seems more in control than Fatah was in the last few years, and if they say truce, it's probably more likely to hold than if Fatah were in power.

Still to early to tell about Hamas. The longer Hamas goes without attacking Israel, the more likely it will be that they will rely on their political rather than military option.

Paper this morning says that Israel launched an attack that killed several Al Aqsa Brigades senior planners. Al Aqsa (basically thugs loyal to Arafat) is politically in direct opposition to Hamas, so this actually helps Hamas by suppressing Al Aqsa.

B

PS Chris Bell's observation is worth thinking about. As a matter of policy, the USA takes a dim view of state-sponsored terrorism.

Yes, as long as it is without the United State's help. I say let them blow each other up.

How about this, I'll come over your house with some guns and tanks and tell you I'm moving in. I'm sure you'll love making me lunch everyday.

If it was actually YOUR house to begin with, then there wouldn't be much I could say about it.

Mike

Surprise for democracy?
 

The US is will surely be surpised when Iraq elects a theocracy as exists in Israel!

Hamas delivered the only social system in existance in Palestine with the exception of the kleptocratic one run by Fatah.

Why was anyone surprised by the election of a party not associated with graft, corruption, and greed?

This exporting of democracy reminds one of Wilson's declaration of "making the world safe for democracy." We all know what that led to.

Maybe we should stop meddling in other countries about which we know very little and care even less unless it boosts the corporate bottom line.

We just increased our "defense" budget by 5% again. It echos Orwell: War is Peace. Or by my take on it: War is Security.

I would be more concerned about the ties between Iran's leadership and Hamas. These are now two elected entities that want the occupiers and Israel removed from the middle east. And one of them is drifting farther and farther away from any kind of western reconciliation.

Personally, the United States does not need to do anything but let Israel defend itself. Should Hamas launch an attack on Israel, Israel should respond accordingly, regardless of what the Bush administration advises it to do. All we need to let them do is run their country and defend themselves.

Thanks
David

I guess the message is democracy is only great when elections work out the right way :stunned:. If only there was a way to control the outcome....

That is the message that partisans send at the close of every election. Look at 2000. Two contradictory messages came out of that. One side said the election was stolen (etc) and the other side said that a stolen election was prevented (etc). No need to re(re(re(re)))argue that because we're all cemented into our self-righteous opinions.

B

No one on this thread has advocated going over there and interfering with their elections.

We're just saying that the results unfortunately speak poorly of the Palestinian people as a whole, and that we should not have dealings or diplomatic relationships with any group of people that are led by a terrorist organization, ESPECIALLY if they CHOSE to be so led. And I don't blame Israel for refusing to deal with them either.

The Palestinians have made their bed.... Now let them lie in it. Alone.

Mike

Israeli State-sponsored Terrorism
 

As I see it, Israel too is guilty of "State Sponsored Terrorism". They openly attack "leaders" of terrorist groups but instead end up killing many civilians instead. I would call that State sponsored terrorism. I don't say that Isreal is right or wrong about what it is doing. I would want these ASSES dead as well but Israel needs to really start thinking about other ways of handling this if it is to distance themselves from the activities of terrorists. Right now, I believe that BOTH SIDES ARE TERRORISTS and are equally to blame for deaths of innocent civilians on both sides. Who are being affected? The general public on both sides.