Rice Says U.S. Position on Hamas Unchanged

[deminks]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060126/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_mideast_8

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday the U.S. position on Hamas as a terrorist organization has not changed, despite the militant group's stunning victory in Palestinian elections.

"You cannot have one foot in politics and another in terror," Rice told the World Economic Conference in Davos, Switzerland via a telephone hookup to the State Department. "Our position on Hamas has therefore not changed."

She urged the international community to "speak clearly and truly to its principles" and urge Palestinians to renounce violence. Rice is due to meet in London on Monday with U.N., Russian and European leaders as the so-called "Quartet" of nations evaluates the results and tries to decide how to proceed with peacemaking efforts.

On Wednesday, the administration had said in advance of the balloting that it would not deal with Hamas.




so much for freedom on the march.