Posted on 04/01/2006 8:27:11 AM PST by Starman417
LONDON - Former US president Bill Clinton told BBC television on Friday that he would shake hands with Hamas if they provided the same assurances on rejecting terror as the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Clinton spoke as the US State Department announced that the United States had suspended all contact with the Palestinian government led by Hamas, who won an overwhelming victory in the Palestinian general election in January.
Clinton, whose eight-year presidency ended in 2001, said he would be prepared to support dealing with the Islamist group if they agreed to negotiate and turn their backs on terrorism.
The United States, European Union and Israel all regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation, given its track record of suicide bombings and its refusal to recognise Israel’s right to exist.
Asked if he would shake hands with Hamas in the name of negotiation as he did with Arafat in 1993, Clinton said: “If they made the same assurances that Arafat did.
“He had made private assurances, and he made public assurances, that he did not support terror any more and would try to restrain it.
“So if Hamas would say, suppose they say, OK, look, we can’t change our theory, we can’t change our document, we can’t change our history, but we’re in government now and the policy of the Palestinian government is no to terror and yes to negotiations. As long as we’re in government, we’ll honour that policy.
“If they did that, I would support dealing with them.”
Back away form the Burka, bubba.
Good. (Clinton shaking hands with Hamas) They will probably get an STD.
"Former US president Bill Clinton told BBC television on Friday that he would shake hands with Hamas if they provided the same assurances on rejecting terror as the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat."
When are these idiots going to learn? Didn't he also receive "assurances" from North Korea on their nuclear program back in the early 90s? Yeah, just trust what they say and shake their hand while they're using the other one to stab you in the back.
Asked if he would shake hands with Hamas in the name of negotiation as he did with Arafat in 1993, Clinton said: “If they made the same assurances that Arafat did. “He had made private assurances, and he made public assurances, that he did not support terror any more and would try to restrain it."
what Clinton failed to mention in the same breath was that even though he DID shake hands with Arafat, and thought he had a peace deal with Israel, Arafat killed it anyway with his actions. so shaking hands meant absolutely nothing except providing a superficial photo-op. What a "post-President Loser-who-wants-to-still-play-a-worldy-part" wanna-be.
Shake hands with the Devil ... hmmm, makes for a good movie I think ....
MARK
Never shake hands with Bill Clinton. You don't know where that hand has been, and you can rest assured that the other hand will have emptied your wallet.
Isn't it interesting that Bill never makes these comments when he's in the U.S.
Yeah with one hand Hamas would shake lil 'ol Clinton's hand and with the other put a knife in his back and our's as well. Bill earns one point for trying to be diplomatic about it but minus several million for stupidity. No thanks Clinton, I choose life over death any day.
He would make a deal with Hamas every bit as good as the deals he made with Arafat and Kim Jong Il.
He's looking for votes for Hillary in '08.
Clinton never met a TERRORIST HE DIDN'T PARDON.
Make that: Clinton never met a TERRORIST OR KNOWN FUGITIVE HE DIDN'T PARDON.
Unfortunately, we do know where that hand has been!
Before or after his little trip to the sink?
Hamas most likely would not want to shake Clinton's hand not knowing where it might have been.
If Hillary does make it into the White House, what kind of security clearance would Bill have?
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