US holds secret talks to weaken Hamas

[Judi Lynn]

The Sunday Times February 19, 2006

US holds secret talks to weaken Hamas
Uzi Mahnaimi in New York


SENIOR Israeli and Palestinian representatives have held secret talks in America to discuss ways of sidelining Hamas, the Islamic militant group that took power for the first time in the Palestinian territories yesterday after emerging as the surprise victor in elections last month.
Senior figures linked to the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government took part in two days of talks in Texas. The meeting was chaired by Edward Djerejian, 65, a former US ambassador to Israel and Syria, who was briefed by the US State Department before it began.

News of the contacts between the Israelis and supporters of the Fatah party of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, emerged as the new Palestinian parliament, dominated by Hamas, was sworn in yesterday in Ramallah, on the West Bank. Abbas then asked Hamas to form a government.

Hamas, which is committed to the destruction of Israel, immediately rejected calls by Abbas to open negotiations with the Jewish state. Abdel Aziz Duaik, who was elected speaker, said Hamas would try to live up to its “rightful duty to resist occupation”.

A participant in the US talks, held on February 8 and 9 at the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy in Houston, said those present had discussed how to sideline Hamas, whose parliamentary victory has been seen as a serious obstacle to any peace settlement.
(snip/...)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2047139,00.html

[LynnTheDem]

1. Gotta weaken them democratically elected governments we don't like!

That or send in US troops to kidnap & remove them a la Aristide.

That's bush; spreading the mock in democracy all over the place.

[bemildred]

2. It sounds like they are contemplating the same approach used on

Aristide. But it's standard with governments we
dislike to do all in our power to prevent them
from doing a good job of governing. I'm surprised
nobody has thought of turning the tables on us, but
perhaps that is because the current ruling elites do
such a bad job that it's hard to think up a way to
make it worse.

[rodeodance]

3. oh, we need another show of purple fingers to boost BushCo.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. So much for democracy

n/t

[leQ]

5. see, if they can make hamas unable to function, then they can blame hamas

for not functioning.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Kick!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[cal04]

7. US holds secret talks to weaken Hamas

SENIOR Israeli and Palestinian representatives have held secret talks in America to discuss ways of sidelining Hamas, the Islamic militant group that took power for the first time in the Palestinian territories yesterday after emerging as the surprise victor in elections last month. Senior figures linked to the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government took part in two days of talks in Texas. The meeting was chaired by Edward Djerejian, 65, a former US ambassador to Israel and Syria, who was briefed by the US State Department before it began.

News of the contacts between the Israelis and supporters of the Fatah party of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, emerged as the new Palestinian parliament, dominated by Hamas, was sworn in yesterday in Ramallah, on the West Bank. Abbas then asked Hamas to form a government. Hamas, which is committed to the destruction of Israel, immediately rejected calls by Abbas to open negotiations with the Jewish state. Abdel Aziz Duaik, who was elected speaker, said Hamas would try to live up to its “rightful duty to resist occupation”.

A participant in the US talks, held on February 8 and 9 at the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy in Houston, said those present had discussed how to sideline Hamas, whose parliamentary victory has been seen as a serious obstacle to any peace settlement. Jibril Rajoub, 50, national security adviser to Abbas who led the Palestinian delegation, confirmed yesterday that the meeting had been backed by Washington. “I believe that the State Department has a great interest that our talks should succeed,” Rajoub said.

“They know that Hamas can’t deliver and the most important issue now is to strengthen the position of the president.” He said that Abbas had been informed of the results of the meeting and “was encouraged and approved the understanding achieved between the two sides”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2047139,00.html

[saltpoint]

8. So let me get this straight. Dubya wants to bring democracy to the

Middle East.

They vote in Palestine. Hamas wins. But Dubya seeks to subvert the result, thus undermining the express process of a free vote.

The public relations folks in the Bush White House sure do have their hands full.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. It's only a democratic election if our side wins.

If the other side wins, it's a coup & therefore we're free to do whatever we have to in order to rectify the result.

[saltpoint]

12. Yes. That wraps it up pretty good, Jackpine Radical. God is this

administration a pack of thieves or what?!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. If all this is going on

and getting out in the press, doesn't it strengthen Hamas rather than weaken it?

[Warren Stupidity]

10. "secret talks"?

Right. Or not. Not now anyway, or they never happened. Fatah meets with US and Israel to dicuss how to get rid of Hamas? Fatah will have about six active members left if that is true.

As for Hamas not being able to deliver, deliver what? Hamas has been delivering social services effectively and effeciently using their own resources for quite some time. Deliver the destruction of Israel? Yes Hamas will not be able to deliver that. They might however be able to deliver honest government to Palestine, perhaps they should be encouraged to do so.