Posted on 03/03/2006 7:29:48 PM PST by blam
Hamas stands firm in talks with Russia
By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow
(Filed: 04/03/2006)
An attempt by Russia to persuade Hamas to recognise Israel's right to exist and to give up its armed struggle against the Jewish state has failed.
The talks between the radical Islamic group and the Russians were the first Hamas had held with any member of the international community since it swept to power in the Palestinian territories six weeks ago.
Khaled Meshaal and the Hamas delegation in Moscow
But the Kremlin failed to win any concessions from the militant group, which has claimed responsibility for numerous suicide bombings against Israeli civilians.
Khaled Meshaal, the exiled Hamas political leader who led a six-man delegation to Moscow, said he was not prepared to enter any form of negotiations with Israel, even indirectly.
"Yasser Arafat and Israel sat at the negotiating table for more than 10 years," he said after emerging from several hours of talks with Russian officials led by Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister. "The result of that was that Israel killed Arafat."
Repeating an offer he made last month, he said he would contemplate talks if Israel would respect pre-1967 borders - essentially pulling out of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
"If Israel declares its readiness in principle to pull out. . . to the return of refugees, to breaking down the dividing wall and freeing all prisoners, then our side will take serious steps towards security and peace," he said.
The Kremlin's invitation to Hamas - made personally by President Vladimir Putin - caused uproar in Jerusalem and prompted anxiety in the United States and the European Union, which both classify the group as a terrorist organisation.
Russia, along with America, the EU and the United Nations, is trying to broker negotiations between Palestine and Israel.
This so called "Quartet" has threatened to cut off all funding to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas does not renounce violence, recognise the state of Israel and express support for the 1993 Oslo accords that have provided the guidelines for the peace process.
Russian sources said last night that Hamas had promised to maintain a ceasefire.
And yet, Russia wants to sell weapons to Hamas.
It appears to be a pitch/apologetic to increase his influence in the marketplace by supporting some form international regulatory framework (implied by the repeated use of the term "secure energy infrastructure"), complete with the requisite appeal to the obligation for all nations (not just the rich ones) to have equal access to energy (paraphrasing).
Looks like he's angling for a piece of any US or other non-communist home runs in alternative energy on the pretext of it being some sort of "basic human right."
Pay attention to Putin's (and his accomplices internationally) continuing consolidation of power and influence in the energy markets.
Control the world's energy, and control the ________. (you can fill in the blank).
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
I think we're headed for a world wide 'rumble' that will be so bloody and fierce that no-one will even notice when Israel wipes Hamas off the map.
Interesting scenario. One thing is sure: before the giving of the land, and the election, there was no place on the map to wipe off. Now there is. Brilliant strategy, I'd say. Smacks of Rovian Genius.
A Soviet diplomat was kidnapped in Beruit. The next morning, about 20 Hezbollah fighters were found dead with their balls in their mouth.
The Soviet diplomat was released the next day.
Now if the Russians grabbed one of the HAMAS representatives, and cut off his head in front of the others, now that would be a salutatory lesson. What could they complain of, that the laws and customs of war were not being followed?
Precisely.
The Russians know that International Fascist Organizations will always want AK-47 and RPG weapons to terrorize the Israelis.
It would be bad business to turn them down, now wouldn't it?
Not to mention stabbing the US, their main competitor, in the back.
Unless you are thinking of a different incident,. I think that one is wrong:
Sept. 30 - Four Soviet diplomats kidnapped in Lebanon, 1 killed but other three released unharmed after a relative of the terrorist leader's was kidnapped and killed by the Soviet KGB.
http://strategypage.com/the_war_on_terror/tactics/2004102822.asp
Though the relative did indeed have his balls in his mouth and a bullet in his head.
"Russia wants to sell weapons to Hamas."
LOL...who DON'T they want to sell weapons to?
thug bastard murdering commies
"Talks will be held at the Russian patriarch's residence," The Moscow Patriarchate's Foreign Church Relations Department told Interfax on Thursday.
On Saturday, March 4, the Hamas delegation plans to visit Moscow's Central Mosque and meet with Russian Mufti Council Chairman Ravil Gainutdin, the Council's press service told Interfax.
Hamas meets Muslim, business leaders in Russia visit - Mar 04 - "We consider this visit to be a very important breakthrough," Mohammed Nazzal, a senior Hamas official and member of the delegation accompanying Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal to Russia, said ahead of the meetings today.
"The US administration is trying to isolate Hamas, they are trying to place Hamas under political siege. This visit to Russia is the first and we look forward to establishing good relations between Hamas and Russia in the future," Nazzal said.
Meshaal was scheduled to hold a series of meetings today, starting with talks with Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, the head of the Russian Council of Muftis.
Those talks were to be followed by discussions with the chairman of the foreign relations committee of the upper house of the Russian Parliament as well as a meeting with the head of the Russian orthodox church, Patriarch Alexei II, Hamas and Russian officials said.
ping to #14
"Put in" the ham in the ham as...
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