Posted on 02/09/2006 1:44:33 PM PST by twinself
MADRID (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin invited the leaders of Palestinian poll winners Hamas to Moscow for talks and insisted his government was right to back a dialogue with the radical Islamic group.
"We are ready to work with all parties. Contacts with Hamas must continue," Putin told reporters on the second and final day of an official visit to Spain.
"Today we have to recognize that Hamas came through the doors of power via legitimate means and also respect the choice of the Palestinian people," Putin said following talks with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Hamas' spokesman in Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri, told AFP the group, which scored a landslide Palestinian poll win on January 25, would happily accept the invite.
"We salute the Russian position and when an invitation is officially sent to us, we will accept it with the aim of strengthening our relations with the West and particularly with the Russian government," Abu Zuhri said, welcoming a chance for Hamas to "explain its position and its vision regarding Israel's deceptive policies."
Putin said he believed bringing Hamas into the fold for a dialogue would pay off.
"I am convinced that burning bridges in politics is not very effective," he replied when asked why Moscow, unlike the United States and the European Union, does not consider Hamas a terrorist organisation.
Putin also said he believed it was time for the world to accept the poll result and work with a Hamas-led administration, even though the group has yet to accept key international demands to renounce violence and recognize Israeli statehood.
Zapatero noted there was a "new electoral reality in Palestine -- and it is in the common interest for politics (in the region) to be pursued without recourse to violence."
The Spanish leader said he gave his full backing to the "Quartet" -- the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia -- as the bloc sought to move the Middle East peace process forward "so that it can be kept alive."
As Putin extended his invitation, UN chief Kofi Annan appealed to the militant group to transform itself into a political party following its shock poll win at the expense of the long-dominant Fatah movement of Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.
"I urge Hamas to listen to the appeals not just from the Quartet but from other governments in the region asking it to transform itself into a political party," Annan told reporters.
"This is not the first time that an armed movement has transformed itself into a political party. There are lots of examples around the world," Annan noted.
"I urge Hamas to go the same route."
I don't know who you are, but you're acting like a 3 yr old. Knock it off. The subject at hand is much greater and more serious than you are.
Putin has been doing lots of dancing with the devils lately. I truly think our government should keep him close enough to keep an eye on him. He's acting like a peacemaker to all the terrorist factions, when in fact he's probably dealing enough weapons of all sorts to kill us all 7 times over.
Poles are clearly a criminal element active in all Europe it's a huge massive plot I tell you.
The subject at hand is about 50 anti-Russia articles per day on FR posted by an organized slander effort.
Only 50? Geessh... I think on a daily basis Catholics are bashed, Protestants are bashed, North Dakotans are bashed, etc. We are not all going to agree on every subject- but the great thing about Free Republic is that we all agree on a general basis that the USA is a great place to be and we are all very blessed to be here or associated with the US.
The only active criminal on this thread is Hamas - Pootie's favourtie.
Where exactly is this thread anti-Russian? Quotation please. :)
A thread which you pinged me to in response to a question on another thread. Thus I'm at iberty to discuss with you BOTH threads.
I didn't mention aany QUOTATIONS. :))
So simply STFU. :)))
Boy has this thread deteriorated...
I mentioned ARTICLES so not QUOTATIONS so learn english.
Being picky English philology specialist won't solve the problem of Pootie's support for suicide bombers.
Oh my poor "philology".
Most of what we have on this thread is non americans trying to convince American's how to feel about non Americans.
The Israelis should invite some Chechan representatives over to open up a dialog on ways in which their situation vis-a-vis Russia can be ameliorated.
What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
You can discuss with your cupboard with the same result. :-)))
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