U.S. bars Americans from doing business with Hamas-led Palestinian governm

[norml]

U.S. bars Americans from doing business with Hamas-led Palestinian government

By Josef Federman
ASSOCIATED PRESS

10:00 a.m. April 14, 2006

JERUSALEM – The U.S. government has barred Americans from doing most business with the new Hamas-led Palestinian government, officials said Friday, stepping up U.S. financial pressure on the Islamic militant group.

In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the U.S. Treasury Department said “transactions with the Palestinian Authority by U.S. persons are prohibited, unless licensed.” It said the decision was based on “existing terrorism sanctions.”

Palestinian officials condemned the American decision.

The United States and European Union have branded Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide attacks, a terrorist group.

The United States and the EU have cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority following Hamas' victory in Palestinian legislative elections, demanding the group renounce violence and recognize Israel.

Hamas has rejected the calls, despite a growing financial crisis that has left the government broke.


snip


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20060414-1000-hamas-us.html

[HereSince1628]

1. Note to self...Trans-ship to Dubai, then redirect to PA from there.

That's gonna be real effective.

[Gman]

2. So they have free elections in Palestine and elect who they wanted

The US wanted free elections in Palestine. But now we don't like the outcome.

I wonder if Diebold is licensed to do business with the Palestinian Authority.

[Phx_Dem]

4. Hamas is a terrorist org

regardless of the outcome of the election.

[theophilus]

9. And, thanks to our "inspired" international diplomacy, they will

probably remain one. Why can't we work with people for change? Why always the stick with these people and never the carrot? Stupidity.

There were a lot of Democrats who fought against the U.S. government back in the 60s (the 1860s, that is) and they were reintegrated into the political system pretty quickly. How many thousands of U.S. troops were killed by those Democrats? Well, I'm just sayin......Bush and his button pushers do not want stability. Most of us know that. We probably err in excusing their ill conceived diplomatic non-moves by crediting them with any high moral principals.

[Pavulon]

10. Europe has sent them off

as well. The palestinian is losing significance as pawn status they got from other arab states. They elected a government who is sworn to destroy Israel.


Just because they voted for them doesn't mean we owe them a dime.

[K-W]

12. It does if we have any respect for democracy

and actually care about the well being of Palestinians.

Cutting off aid to punish them for electing a govermnent we dont like is monstrous.

[Pavulon]

16. If we elected a kkk

party we would be cut off. Hamas preached death to israel. Period. They are not children, they chose, we respond. Not like we are the only nation who chose not to fund them.

[K-W]

19. We dont recieve aid

Regardless, no, when the US was a slave nation it was not under embargo.

The US doesnt have to answer to anyone because the US doesnt rely on charity to survive and nations rely on US trade. The US government with both current parties in power has committed great acts of aggression, violence and terrorism. And that was actually in government. Meanwhile the palestinian government has not taken any hostile action.

Apparently you think they are children since you think its your place to tell them who they can and cannot elect.

Silly me, I think we should base aid and trade decisions on helping people, not subverting democracy.

[Pavulon]

22. No STATE aid not Humanitarian

That is out of context. The us was a slave nation during the period when it was "accepted". This is a red herring a d should be a different topic is you wish.

The palestinian government has continued to allow rockets to be fired into israel.

Humanitarian aid is not cut off STATE aid is. Lets keep the context clear.

We are de facto funding hamas if we continue STATE aid.

A real comparison is humanitarian aid to the people of NK but not the Dictator.

OK?

[K-W]

25. The US was a slave state long after it was accepted

by the global powers of the time.

I guess anything that proves you wrong is a red herring.

Regardless the US to this day has terrorists in its government and has a government that supports terrorism that actually does attack other nations. WHERE ARE THE EMBARGOES?

The palestinian government doesnt control the actions of palestinians, but if we are going to make it clear to them that Israel can do whatever it wants and we will not help them, why should they try and cooperate?

Contrary to what you say, the government is a vital part of what support systems the palestinians have, cutting state aid does have a humanitarian cost.

Like I said, its fine if you dont want to fund this government. but if you were interested in a democratic palestine and not a palestine that would cooperate with Israeli and US plans, you wouldnt cut off aid because of an election result.

And as long as the US funds the Israeli military it can fund a government with Hamas in it.

[Pavulon]

28. You Got It

I support Humanitarian aid to the people. Not a dime to hamas until they fix their charter.

Seems this view is shared by most of the world.

I am not going to discuss us history in this thread.

[K-W]

29. This view is not shared by most of the world.

If you think geoplotical decisions are made based on what most of the people think about the morals of governments, I have bad news for you... and perhaps a bridge to sell you.

So now you dont want to discuss the thing that proves your statement wrong... ok. Im fine with leaving out the history. How about modern times? Is Bush not guilty of aggression? Has he not invaded another country? Where is the embargo? Why arent other countries declaring that no US government containing republicans will be supported in any way? Your statement that if the US elected the KKK it would get this kind of treatment is obviously false. The US has again and again committed acts of aggression and terrorism and still retained its power and influence in the global economy.

[Pavulon]

32. You miss the truth

The palestinians, as a cause, are a cold war pawn used by arab states in a cold war against Israel. The Arabs don't care and will do nothing. They lost 3 wars and they just lost the fourth.

The US will not discontinue support for the people. We will not fund a group who declared israel has no right to exist.

They elected Hamas so Syria can fund their government.

Global state funding for them is not an option

[K-W]

36. The palestinians are people.

And yes you are right, the peak of arab support for them has passed. The US is discontinueing support because the new government will not go along with the US Israeli plan. The declaration about existance is rhetoric all around. Just talk. The US is a terrorist nation that supports Israel the rogue state, ethics have nothing to do with US policy.

They elected Hamas because they arent ok with the current Israeli plans for them, not because they wanted to lose aid.

Obviously funding is not an option for them, because the people involved are not interestsed in helping the Palestinian people, they have thier geopolitical agendas.

My only point is that if your interests were nurturing an elected government for the Palestinians you wouldnt abandon it because it elected a party you dont agree with.

I understand that this isnt the US's interest.

[norml]

42. And the Israeli government has continued to allow rockets to be fired into

Palestine, not to mention what they do with the dozers.

Maybe we should cut them off?

[theophilus]

14. You are right. We do not owe the Palestinian people a dime.

However, wouldn't using millions as a carrot right now maybe be a good thing? If we worked with them might we not be able to moderate their rhetoric and even their attitudes? Do we have to be hardline and possibly wind up paying many more billions in another "fun" war down the road because of continuing terrorist anger at our Nation? How might we have spent three hundred billion in Iraq that would have produced a more desired result? It is a theory but most people on this site will agree that if the Bush administration is for something, then it must be questionable. Peace.

[Phx_Dem]

39. Isn't that exactly what we are doing?

If Hamas changes their charter and disavows terrorism THEN they will receive funding. Seems like a simple behavioral approach to me.

[K-W]

11. So are the Republican and Democratic Parties in the US.

The point is they are more than just an organization with terrorists, they are also a political organization. The Palestinian government and the Palestinian people do not deserve to be held accountable for the actions of some Hamas members, the cutting off of aid is inexcusable as is this embargo.

[enlightenment]

6. So much for the "will of the people." nt

[K-W]

3. If only the Palestinians had a partner for peace. EOM

[Phx_Dem]

5. Hey what does EOM stand for?

I take it you don't like the roadmap?

[enlightenment]

7. end of message

and I know you weren't addressing me, but I don't like the roadmap, either.

[stevekatz]

13. If only the Israelis had a partner that wanted peace. EOM

[K-W]

15. You seem confused.

The Palestinians are the ones who want peace. It is Israel and its allies who are backing out of what remained of the peace process as we speak.

[Pavulon]

17. They retook the west bank? (NT)

[K-W]

20. Huh? EOM

[stevekatz]

21. the Palestinians burned whatever

was left of the peace process when they voted in a government that is dedicated to the destruction of the Israel

[K-W]

23. They did no such thing.

They voted for a government that includes a party who has been ideologically quite hostile to Israel. So what? The Israeli government includes parties that ideologically hostile to Palestinians. None of that matters at all. What matters is that they are not dedicated to the destruction of Israel, they have made it perfectly clear that they support diplomacy. There is no indication whatsoever that the new government is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and certainly no indication that this is what the Palestinians were voting for.

[stevekatz]

24. You are naive

Hamas is an organization that does not want to live side by side with the State of Israel, Hamas has done nothing to show they want peace since taking office. Talk is nothing, action is everything, for starters they could stop thier members and other factions from lobbing rockets out gaza. But they won't.... And everyone on this board knows it.

[K-W]

26. Because I dont buy into your boogeyman stories?

Because I understand that Hamas is a real organization made up of real people in the real world. Instead of pretending it is some kind of evil organization out of a cartoon.

Hamas wants peace, it doesnt want Israel's peace. While it may certainly want Israel to be destroyed, it knows that this is impossible. You say talk is nothing but you hinge your arguments on talk. On the idea that Hamas opposes Israel's existance. That is where the talk is.

Anyone on this board with any sense knows that Hamas cant completely control the actions of Palestinians. But yes, they can certainly choose to crack down on them more or less. But why would they do this when the US and Israel have declared that no matter what they do, they will treated hostilly, simply because they are Hamas, a terrorist organization.

Oh and when exactly is Israel going to renounce violence?

[stevekatz]

27. Your more then naive

If you think Hamas wants peaceable coexistance with Israel, but I wont be insulting

[K-W]

31. No, im simply using facts and reason instead of vague generalizations.

Of course Hamas wants peaceful coexistance because the only other option is being oppressed by Israel.

Perhaps you can ignore the facts on the ground, but Palestinians cant. Perhaps if a magical lamp were found in the sand tommarow and geenie popped out and granted Hamas three wishes they would wipe Israel off the map.

But without some kind of magical intervention, Hamas couldnt in its wildest dreams destroy Israel.

The question isnt what Hamas might want, it is what Hamas is willing to settle for.

Also, there are people in the Israeli government who support appropriating the entire occupied territory and keeping palestinians second class citizens. What about these ideologies?

[stevekatz]

33. you're a scary individual

Hamas is a fundamentalist religious organization, these organizations never act rationally. They will attempt to placate the west with words, but will dig in for to fight for a 100 years.

People in the government of Israel do think as you say, but they do not run the government, this is not the case in Palestine. Bibi came in what? 4th?

[K-W]

37. Im sorry the truth scares you.

Hamas is a fundamentalist religious organization, these organizations never act rationally.

Of course they act rationally. You dont win an election by acting randomly.

They will attempt to placate the west with words, but will dig in for to fight for a 100 years.

Only in fantasy land. Its easy to sit at a computer and think about these vague ideological battles. The people who actually live in the middle east have to deal with reality. There is no will in Palestine to dig in for a war with Israel. That is absurd. They are occupied and oppressed and dream of liberation, not conquest. They have fantasies about thier oppressors being destroyed, thier oppressors have fantasies about them being destroyed so what?

The Palestinian people will settle for freedom and liberation whether a few nuts will or not.

[stevekatz]

38. Not when the nuts run the government

This is the hole in your idea

And your opinions are far from any truth

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

34. Shorter stevekatz: "They deserve whatever they get." -nt

[Phx_Dem]

40. Right, that's why they elected Hamas

I thought Thursdays were opposite day?

[wellst0nev0ter]

8. Bush "Does Not Want, Does Not Accept, Does Not Support" Purple Fingers

when will the media finally show us the goddamn pattern of hypocrisy?

[sutz12]

18. Well, that'll cut down the competition for Halliburton.

:sarcasm:

oh wait......

[sweetheart]

30. it means don't buy anything from palestine

As hamas is an externality of israeli policy, and to not
buy anything from hamas is to, more clearly, not buy anything
that supports the status quo with israel.

I chuckle when i see piles of israeli-originalted vegetables
sitting in the supermarket unpurchased due to the origin country.
Boycot war, boycott prison states... no point in doing
business with terrorist, state or rogue.

[Pavulon]

35. We spend millions

on israeli control equipment because it works.

Cost speaks.

[Scurrilous]

41. U.S. bars American business ties with Hamas-led government

<snip>

"Palestinian officials condemned the American decision, and Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed Friday that his government would not be cowed by Western nations' freeze on financial aid to the PA.

The U.S. decision affects most dealings with the Palestinian government, but does not apply to private business interests, the memo said.
"This restriction is limited to transactions with the PA government and does not apply to transactions with individuals or other entities in the Palestinian territories," it said.

<snip>

"It said business with the Palestinian government will be permitted to continue in six areas, primarily humanitarian aid and work for international organizations like the United Nations.

"In the interest of supporting the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, Treasury will allow certain limited transactions by U.S. persons and organizations with the Palestinian Authority," it said.

It also said business can continue with government departments controlled by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. However, the new Hamas government controls all major ministries after being sworn into office two weeks ago."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/705953.html