Posted on 06/16/2009 2:00:45 PM PDT by seanmerc
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told former US President Jimmy Carter Tuesday that his government supported any plan that aims to fulfill the aspirations of the Palestinians, preserves their rights and leads to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state in all the territories that were occupied by Israel in 1967.
Haniyeh, according to his aides, also expressed Hamas's desire to end the case of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit, welcoming Carter's mediation efforts in this regard. Haniyeh was quoted as saying that Hamas supported achieving a dignified solution to the Schalit case on a "human and political basis."
Haniyeh urged Carter to exert pressure on Israel to lift the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and reopen the border crossings into the area.
Earlier Tuesday, Hamas said it foiled an attempt by Palestinian terrorists to assassinate former US president Jimmy Carter during his visit to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Palestinian sources told news agencies.
According to Palestinian sources, terrorists linked with al Qaida hid a number of improved explosive devices along a road that Carter's convoy was scheduled to travel on inside Gaza. Hamas forces reportedly uncovered the IEDs and destroyed them.
Ismail Shahwan, spokesman for the Hamas Ministry of the Interior, denied that an al Qaeda-linked group had planned to assassinate Carter.
Shawan said no explosives were discovered near the Erez border crossing. He said that the visit went according to the plan.
Earlier, Carter had been quoted as saying he was holding back tears when surveying the "deliberate destruction" in Gaza following Israel's Operation Cast Lead earlier this year, Israel Radio reported.
Carter said that it was distressing to see the devastation in Gaza but also to see Kassams falling on Sderot.
The way to stop this is through dialogue and peace, Carter told reporters.
Carter met with Hamas leaders including Ismail Haniyeh. Prior to the meeting, he said he would try to persuade them to accept the international community's conditions for ending its boycott of the group. Carter added that after his talks in Gaza, he will meet with officials in the Obama administration.
Carter moved onto Tel Aviv to meet with the parents of Schalit. He is expected to deliver a letter by them to Hamas.
On Tuesday morning, top Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar said his movement would consider giving Schalit a letter delivered by Carter.
Zahar told Israel Radio on Tuesday that if Israel wanted to end the Schalit saga, it should free all the prisoners Hamas was demanding.
Zahar said that Egypt was yet to invite the group to resume indirect talks over securing Schalit's release, adding that the previous negotiations were halted due to Israel's insistence on not freeing prisoners from east Jerusalem and the Arab-Israeli sector.
He claimed Israel was not interested in reaching a prisoner swap deal, but rather wanted to get information on Schalit's whereabouts in order to try and free him in a military operation.
Zahar criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's policy speech delivered Sunday, saying that he set impossible conditions for the Palestinians - to give up on the right of return and Jerusalem.
Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.
Wow. Just wow. An American they are willing to defend.
This reminds me of the fainting women at Obama rallies. Fake? You betcha.
That's about as staged as a Hamas funeral rally.
I bet the Hamas are bummed. They don’t care who they blow up, just so there is lots of gore and mayhem.
So what's stopping you asshole?
Terrorists know their own. MoJimmy bin-Carter has found someone to take him seriously.
What a crock of $hit!
Jimmy Carter is the Palestinian terrorists’ best friend.
Bullship!
If Hamas wants to handle the Shalit matter on a “human and political basis” they can just release the young man and let him return to his family.
Hamas are servants of Satan.
That’s as absurd as thinking the fox is bringing back your prize rooster.
Was it a killer rabbit with an explosives belt?
One ringie dingie, two ringie dingie, click, “Ah hello.”
“Hey Abdul, this is Ahmed from down at the Hamas local 172. What are you doing around 8:00 am tomorrow?”
“Well, I don’t have any plans.”
“Okay, great! Could you please deliver a package to road marker 37 around 7:45am? It has to be there no later than 8:15am.”
“Yes, I can do that.”
“Okay great, come buy and pick the package up around 4:00pm this afternoon. Okay?”
“Sure. I’ll be by.”
One ringie dingie, two ringie dingie, click, “Ah hello.”
“Hey Mohammed, this is Ahmed from down at the Hamas local 172. What are you doing around 8:15am tomorrow?”
“Well, I was going in to the Hamas Security Center around 9:00am.”
“Great. Would you mind picking up a package on the way in? It’s going to be at road marker 37. You can pick it up any time after 8:15am.”
“Sure, I can do that.”
“Okay, but it has to be at the Hamas Security Center by 8:45am, for a press conference.”
“Okay. No problem.”
“One ringie dingie, two ringie dingie, click, “Ah hello, Al Jazeera.”
“Hey this is Hamas local 172, and we’re going to be making a press release in the morning around 9:00am. Could you send over one of your folks?”
“Oh sure. We’ll be there around 8:45am.”
“Well, please don’t come before 9:00am. Thanks. See you then.”
“One ringie dingie, two ringie dingie, click, “Ah hello, Rosalyn Carter speaking...”
Carter should feel emboldened by this and continue his trip onto N Korea.
North Korea can have him.
Excellent graphic! It really illustrates the issue well. What the Palestinians really want is to push Israel off the map completely.
We have been to the Golan Heights. It would be crazy for Israel to give them to the Syrians. We are praying for the peace of Israel in general and Jerusalem in particular!
Reminds me of a story about a blind pig and an acorn.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
>>>’Hamas thwarts Carter assassination’>>>
DAMN!
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