US Won't Talk to Hamas But Backs Its Participation in Elections

GOPUSA ^ | January 17, 2006 | Julie Stahl (CNSNews.com)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) -- The United States will not engage in dialogue with Hamas but nevertheless believes that the Palestinian terrorist group should be allowed to participate in upcoming Palestinian elections, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Richard Jones said on Tuesday.

Israel vehemently opposed the participation of Hamas in the Palestinian elections scheduled to take place next week because it is a terrorist group that seeks to destroy the State of Israel.

Any group with such an ideology is banned from participating in Palestinian elections, according to the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the PLO in 1993.

"We of course do not have relationship with Hamas. In fact, we consider Hamas a foreign terrorist organization," Jones said in a radio interview. "We have no dealings with Hamas. We will have no dealings with Hamas, but that does not mean that Hamas or people who support Hamas should be denied the participation in the election and I think we've made that pretty clear to people," he said.

Hamas is expected to make a strong showing in the elections. Israel already has been forced to talk with Hamas officials who have won elections in municipalities.

Meanwhile, Hamas vowed to retaliate for the Israeli army killing of a Hamas leader in the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Monday.

The Israeli army surrounded the building where Thabet Ayadi was holed up. He emerged with guns blazing in each hand and was promptly killed, the army said. An army spokesman said soldiers found explosives and bomb belts in various stages of assembly inside the building.

A spokesman for Hamas vowed to find the appropriate time to avenge the death of Ayadi, reports said.

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[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The title is somewhat misleading--we're certainly not backing Hamas in an election. Nonetheless, not going against their participation in these elections is outrageous.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING!

[FeeinTennessee]

Terrorists are terrorists, no matter if they try to hide behind an organization or not, participating in democratic elections. They are still terrorists. And the US should be speaking out against them. They are disgusting!

I wonder just how Israel and the Palestinians (who revere Hamas) is supposed to work toward peace... that's why I say that this peace effort is all for nothing, it's pathetic. Will not yeild any results.

[Stellar Dendrite]

ping

[Itzlzha]

*PING!*

"We of course do not have relationship with Hamas. In fact, we consider Hamas a foreign terrorist organization," Jones said in a radio interview. "We have no dealings with Hamas. We will have no dealings with Hamas, but that does not mean that Hamas or people who support Hamas should be denied the participation in the election and I think we've made that pretty clear to people," he said.

Let's run this thru the disgronifier to see if it's BS or not...

"We of course do not have relationship with Hamas the Taliban or Al Quaeda. In fact, we consider Hamas the Taliban or Al Quaeda a foreign terrorist organization," Jones said in a radio interview. "We have no dealings with Hamas the Taliban or Al Quaeda. We will have no dealings with Hamas the Taliban or Al Quaeda, but that does not mean that Hamas the Taliban or Al Quaeda or people who support Hamas the Taliban or Al Quaeda should be denied the participation in the election and I think we've made that pretty clear to people," he said.

Yup...stinks like BS!

[SJackson]

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[mississippi red-neck]

We will give them political legitimacy, wash them off with verbal soap and greet them at the White House.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

If we do that, then God help us.