[Mr. Mojo]

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?

[tennmountainman]

"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.

[SJackson]

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

Consistancy would require it, as it would the Taliban. And the Baath party. All were denied the opportunity to participate in elections while armed. Of course none are particularly well liked in Saudi Arabia, which could be a factor.