What is Hamas doing in South Africa?

Ha'aretz ^ | 31/03/2006 | Tim Hughes

[Tailgunner Joe]

Israel is asking of South Africa, "What is there to discuss with Hamas?" What can South Africa deliver that the infinitely more powerful and influential Vladimir Putin could not? Informed Israelis may well question what South Africa hopes to achieve in talking to such a party when its own policy of "quiet diplomacy" toward the Mugabe regime has yielded nothing but embarrassment for Pretoria and further suffering for millions of Zimbabweans.

Indeed there is a strong sentiment of dismissiveness and irritation in Israel at this middle-ranking country on the tip of Africa, with a governing party strongly affiliated to the PLO, "poking its nose in" where it is not wanted. For sceptics, South Africa's naivete and arrogance may have the unintended consequence of conferring recognition of Hamas' policies and positions toward Israel. South African watchers may also point to President Mbeki's own pretensions toward global statesmanship as the key to his personal involvement in facilitating dialogue between Palestinians and Israel. ...

South Africa's testimony at the 2004 International Court of Justice hearings on the security wall aggrieved the Israeli government and its abstention from the recent International Atomic Energy Agency vote on Iran's referral to the UN Security Council was viewed as a sop to Teheran, or at worst, an act of hostility toward Israel. Yet South Africa's position was consistent with its approach to international relations, that is to seek consensus in multilateral forums and to oppose injustice, unilateralism and pre-emption.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Expect to hear more from the international left about racist Israel and America's "apartheid walls." The left figures what worked in South Africa will work in Israel and in the US.

[SandRat]

Converting Desmond Tutu maybe????

[garyhope]

What are Muslims doing anywhere except the stinking Middle East?

[MDspinboyredux]

Looking for Uranium.

It's well known that Israel and Apartheid South Africa worked jointly on their atomic weapons program.

SA provided the resources and the Israelis provided the technological savvy.

Maybe they're looking for either raw materials to sell to Al-Qadia or a spare completed Afrikaaner bomb.

[EGPWS]

What are Muslims doing anywhere except the stinking Middle East?

Creating mayhem and destruction?

Do I win?

[El Gato]

What can South Africa deliver that the infinitely more powerful and influential Vladimir Putin could not?

Here's what the CIA Factbook says they have:

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

Now what might an aspiring terrorist state want from that list?