Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rice: Better to have Hamas in power than in streets
YNet ^ | Nov. 6, 2006

Posted on 11/06/2006 11:24:19 AM PST by Alouette

US secretary of state says Hamas government may be preferable to group 'running the streets, masked, with guns'

Associated Press Published: 11.06.06, 21:18

An elected Hamas government in the Palestinian territories may be preferable to the group operating outside the power structure and carrying out terrorist actions, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday.

Rice, speaking to a pro-democracy forum, made the point in arguing that that the United States should not retreat from its advocacy of democracy abroad when elections do not turn out well from the US point of view. Referring to Hamas, Rice said, "I am not so sure that it is better to have these groups running the streets, masked, with guns rather than having them have to face voters and having to deliver."

While the election that produced the Hamas victory was free and fair, she said Hamas has failed in its responsibility to obtain international acceptability. The result, Rice said, has been that the Palestinian people basically have been deprived of international assistance.

"The interesting point is would we have ever seen Hamas confronted with that dilemma without elections and without coming in to govern," Rice said.

She added that the international community should do more to convince Middle East groups that enter politics to give up terror.

While expressing disappointment with the drift toward repression in Egypt, Rice said the 2004 presidential elections produced some lasting benefits. "I don't believe that Egypt will ever go completely back to where it was in the wake of competitive presidential elections," She said.

"The kind of open debate that took place in Egypt, everywhere from in the press to cafes in Egypt, I'm told by people who were there, you don't ever really put that back in a bottle."


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: foggyrockbottom; hamas; israel; rice
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last
"I am not so sure that it is better to have these groups running the streets, masked, with guns rather than having them have to face voters and having to deliver."

WTF!!!!

1 posted on 11/06/2006 11:24:21 AM PST by Alouette
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 1st-P-In-The-Pod; A_Conservative_in_Cambridge; af_vet_rr; agrace; albyjimc2; Alexander Rubin; ...
FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.

Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.

2 posted on 11/06/2006 11:25:11 AM PST by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 77-78)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

Think Robespierre...


3 posted on 11/06/2006 11:25:45 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
Exactly Alouette- Rice is comming out with some real wierd stuff lately- this is just another example- my support for her is is getting less and less the more she says stuff like htis.

Christian news and commentary at: sacredscoop.com ...

4 posted on 11/06/2006 11:26:09 AM PST by CottShop (http://sacredscoop.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

Has Rice forgotten that Hamas IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION that carries out terrorist acts??? Hello Rice???


5 posted on 11/06/2006 11:26:29 AM PST by EagleUSA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
US secretary of state says Hamas government may be preferable to group 'running the streets, masked, with guns'

I wonder how long until the St. Dept. expresses the same view about Al Qaeda?

6 posted on 11/06/2006 11:27:07 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CottShop

Rice is out of her mind. Better to eliminate Hamas.


7 posted on 11/06/2006 11:28:08 AM PST by tennmountainman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
Rice, speaking to a pro-democracy forum, made the point in arguing that that the United States should not retreat from its advocacy of democracy abroad when elections do not turn out well from the US point of view. Referring to Hamas, Rice said, "I am not so sure that it is better to have these groups running the streets, masked, with guns rather than having them have to face voters and having to deliver."
The journalist is trying hard to make Rice sound as if she endorsed a Hamas government; she didn't. What she actually said is that the US should pursue the goal of democracy even if the result is sometimes that parties like Hamas getting popularly elected. Part of what a democratic system is supposed to do is give everyone a stake in the process.
8 posted on 11/06/2006 11:29:05 AM PST by Asclepius (protectionists would outsource our dignity and prosperity in return for illusory job security)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

This woman needs to be muzzled.


9 posted on 11/06/2006 11:29:12 AM PST by NY Attitude (You are responsible for your safety until the arrival of Law Enforcement Officers!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tennmountainman
Better to eliminate Hamas.

Better yet if the Palestinians do it themselves...

10 posted on 11/06/2006 11:30:07 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
It's hard to believe people around here actually consider her a viable candidate for 2008. I can't see a Condi candidacy being anything more than a train wreck.
11 posted on 11/06/2006 11:32:01 AM PST by SaveTheChief (This is my "+3 tagline of smiting")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mojo

"I wonder how long until the St. Dept. expresses the same view about Al Qaeda"

They already are. The occupation of Iraq has been MANAGED, not won.
We should have dis-armed Al mookie Sadr when we had the chance.
We should have wiped him out. But this "New Tone" thing has hamstrung our troops.

We should have delivered a few 'Highways of Deaths" like Kuwait instead of thei get a long thing. Raw force is the only thing they understand.


12 posted on 11/06/2006 11:32:14 AM PST by tennmountainman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

Bizarre. She has become albrightian. I would so love to have Bolton SecState instead of her. They should change their jobs.


13 posted on 11/06/2006 11:33:39 AM PST by SolidWood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

She said what? I'd like to, but I don't think those were very smart things to say.


14 posted on 11/06/2006 11:33:40 AM PST by mutley ("I read the Koran, and didn't find anything of value in it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mewzilla

We pumped in millions of dollars to Arafat. All he did was sock that money in a bank.
Eleminate Hamas.


15 posted on 11/06/2006 11:34:32 AM PST by tennmountainman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: tennmountainman
But this "New Tone" thing has hamstrung our troops.

The "hearts and minds" approach to dealing with the Islamic world could be America's death warrant.

16 posted on 11/06/2006 11:35:25 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Alouette
Sheesh!

Gee, Condi, wouldn't it be better to have the Democrats in power than taking to the streets, as many of them have threatened?

(The only way uber-Dems Lear and Vidal-see link-would take to the streets is if their limos broke down. I am not so sure about rank and file moonbats and terror symps, but I am willing to take the chance.)

17 posted on 11/06/2006 11:36:09 AM PST by atomic conspiracy (Death to terrorists, death to traitors, death to (draw the obvious conclusion))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

Hamas are a terrorist organisation.

I would not have handed power to the IR effing A which was another.

They were a menace in the streets but we beat them by not spouting this sort of crud.


18 posted on 11/06/2006 11:37:39 AM PST by Mrs Ivan (English, and damned proud of it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NY Attitude
No. She is right. Palestinians voted for Hamas primarily, primarily because they understood that Fatah was unbelievably corrupt and a den of thieves and embezzlers.

We cannot say to the Arabs: "we want democracy" and then insist that they should elect people that we like. Wherever Islamists have been elected, they have had to deal with raising revenue, filling the potholes, and dealing with milllage rates. Damn whole sight harder than driving the Jews into the sea.

Hamas will get unpopular real quick when the rubber meets the road. Further, when Hamas becomes a State Actor, they get an State Address. Understand that Rice and Olmert are ginning up for the Second Round. Hamas needs to understand that as a State Actor they will be in range of Israeli artillery, rockets, and GBU's.

It sucks being in government. Condi is right about this: once you're the State, you've got an address. Makes it A LOT easier for the IDF.

But the bottom line is this: you either believe in the right of the people to choose, or you don't. Arabs are NOT going to choose our way. Supporting strongmen, oil princelings, and Presidents-For-Life whose practice is to be our ally while putting the boot into the people merely puts off the Day of Reckoning.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

19 posted on 11/06/2006 11:38:52 AM PST by section9 (Major Motoko Kusanagi says, "Jesus is Coming. Everybody look busy...")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Alouette

Condi has proven that she and this administration have been "turned" a long time ago.


20 posted on 11/06/2006 11:39:27 AM PST by Nachum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson