US won't cut PA ties if Hamas in cabinet

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 01/29/06 | HERB KEINON

[notes2005]

The US won't deal with Hamas ministers in a future Palestinian Authority government, but will also not cut off ties with the PA as a result of Hamas's inclusion, diplomatic officials said Monday.

According to the officials, the US formula for dealing with a PA government following Wednesday's elections would be based on the "Lebanese model." In Lebanon, the officials said, the US continues to have strong ties with the government in Beirut even though Hizbullah is part of it. It does not, however, have any contact with the one Hizbullah minister.

The officials said that since Hamas was on the US list of terrorist organizations, the US would be legally proscribed from having contact or dealing with Hamas officials, even if they were PA ministers.

At the same time, they said, the law would not necessarily proscribe the US from continuing to deal with the PA or contributing money to it.

These comments came as Israeli diplomats were quietly holding conversations with their counterparts in Europe and the US over the steps they should take if Hamas became the dominant force inside the PA.

The US Congress passed a resolution late last year condemning Hamas's participation in the election, and warning that financial assistance to the PA could be blocked if Hamas's terrorist infrastructure was not dismantled.

[no-to-illegals]

you do know we (American taxpayers), through the blessings of our congressional representative with the president's signature, has been giving money (billions of dollars) over the course of decades to the pallies while Arafat was in power? thus with hamas....we the American taxpayer, will be generous with a known terrorist organization thanks to our organizational terrorist group known as the US congress.

[sheana]

Face it, the U.S. government doesn't give a crap about its citizens. We are nothing but a source of $ to them.