U.S. urged to be flexible on Hamas

[ProgressiveMuslim]

Nicholas Kralev, The Washington Times, Feb 12, 2009



An influential Palestinian lawmaker visiting Washington urged the Obama administration to accept a government for the West Bank and the Gaza Strip that would bridge divisions between the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

Mustafa Barghouthi, a member of the Palestinian parliament and leader of the Palestinian National Initiative, blamed the Bush administration and Israel for the collapse of the previous unity government, which lasted three months in 2007.

"They never gave the national unity government a chance," Mr. Barghouthi, who was minister of information in the short-lived Cabinet, said in an interview this week.

Despite some early signs of support, Hamas' inclusion in the government led the Bush administration to adopt Israel's strategy of isolating the militant group, rather than engaging it in the political process. This time, Washington's blessing - or at least a lack of opposition - will be crucial, Mr. Barghouthi said.

"I'm not asking them to deal with Hamas, but I'm asking them to say that they accept a national unity government with a good, flexible program," he said. "They shouldn't be repeating what's not working. The U.S. can't do only what Israel wants."

Washington refuses to deal directly with Hamas because the Islamist group is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations.

The U.S. cannot afford to continuing dealing only with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas because he has been weakened by Israel's recent offensive in Gaza, Mr. Barghouthi said. "You have to deal with the whole Palestinian spectrum."

Gaza has been under Hamas control since June 2007. Mr. Abbas and the Fatah-led Cabinet of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad govern in the West Bank.




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http://imeu.net/news/article0015654.shtml

[GoesTo11]

1. How about if Hamas shows some flexibliity and renounces bus bombings

There are just some minimum requirements before they can expect to be treated as a legitimate party and not as criminals.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

4. Hamas did suspend terror operations inside Israel.

How about Israel suspend its illegal colonization?
How about Israel suspend it's "targeted assassinations?"
How about Israel suspend the siege of Gaza?
How about Israel suspend administrative dentention?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. By choice or because they were unable to excecute them?

Given their pronouncements and their actions, the safe bet is that they were no able to do them any longer

[Captain Needa]

2. I fucking don't get it

Either you believe in democracy or you don't. They can be extremists, religious nutjobs and whatever you like to call them, but they are the legitimate Palestinian ruling party. They won the fucking elections, for dog's shake. Flexible? You have to be FAIR not with Hamas, but with the will of the people who voted for them, no matter how wrong they were. Remember another country where people voted for the wrong guy not only once, but twice in the last 8 years?

[Vegasaurus]

3. I keep saying it because it is true

An election does not a democracy make.

Who the **** cares if Hamas "won" by election?

They are terrorist thugs who shoot opponents in the knee caps (if they don't kipnap or murder them first).

There is no freedom of religion or speech.

Women can be murdered or flogged for being seen with a man other than their husband.

Roving gangs rule the streets.

This is no democracy.

Plus they have annihilation of a sovereign country as one of their primary political goals.

There is NO dealing with Hamas, unless they temper their position, make unity with the PA, and want to live like good neighbors.

[Captain Needa]

5. I thought that these were the Saudis

plus nobody elected their ruling gang. But they happen to be your allies, that's the only requirement you seem to need to label someone as "democratic".

Who the fucking cares if President Allende won by election? Let's call in the Marines and put Pinochet in office, he surely understands "democracy" the way America spells it!

[azurnoir]

6. It's not that the Saudi's are believed by "some" to be

democratic it's that "some" here believe that the Palestinians and particularly the Gazan's are being ungrateful for letting them live on land that "some" here believe is theirs:sarcasm:

Any other details are imaginary justification for the above but I am "surprised" we do not hear more about those crucifixions that Hamas is preforming :sarcasm:

[Captain Needa]

7. Darn, I need to learn how to use the litlle "sarcasm" thingy nt

[Vegasaurus]

8. No one is talking about the Gazans living on land that isn't theirs,

We are talking about the thuggish theocracy of Hamas and why there isn't an iota democratic about the way they rule the people with an iron boot and no freedoms.

[Captain Needa]

9. Because you say so

Anything you can say about Hamas, it can be said abut Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Brunei etc. tenfold and the US seems not to have any issues with them. It's called double standards, and a very funny notion of democracy. Interfering with other people's electoral processes is in direct violation of article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As I've said before, either you believe in democracy or you don't.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

10. You're confusing "bad" and "undemocratic".

I fully agree that the Hamas regime is a bad one.

However, the definition of "what makes a democracy" is, pretty much, "an election" (a free and fair election, to be more accurate, which is much more debateable, but Hamas does appear to have a popular mandate).

If the populace of a democracy vote to execute anyone who sneezes, that doesn't make it any less a democracy.

[Howardx]

11. "The U.S. can't do only what Israel wants"

good luck with that barghouti.

[azurnoir]

12. Which one? n/t

[Howardx]

13. huh?

the one mentioned in the article!

[azurnoir]

14. Actually there are 3 Barghouti's

There is Dr Moustafa Barghouti, Marwan Barghouti who are cousins and Abdullah Barghouti who is apparently unrelated at least as far as I can tell the last 2 are in Israeli prisons and are rumored to released as a part of a deal to release Gilad Shalit

[azurnoir]

15. At some it will have to realized that "like" them or not

Hamas will have to dealt with on a diplomatic level they are not going away, they can not all be executed, isolation has led to what we have now, and they hold just enough power to make or break any deals

[Vegasaurus]

17. They don't want peace

or to be brought into any peace process.

Haven't you learned anything from your day in and day out posting on this forum?