Posted on 09/08/2008 1:07:52 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
JERUSALEM – The Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations have "legitimate claims" that are being "weakened" by the violence the terror groups carry out, Sen. Barack Obama stated in an interview today with the New York Times.
Speaking with columnist David Brooks, Obama said the U.S. needs a foreign policy that "looks at the root causes of problems and dangers."
The presidential candidate compared Hezbollah to Hamas, stating they both need to be compelled to understand that "they're going down a blind alley with violence that weakens their legitimate claims."
Brooks was speaking to Obama for clarification on an earlier statement the Illinois senator made implying Lebanese militias should be tempered with enticements.
Regarding Hezbollah, Obama earlier declared: "It's time to engage in diplomatic efforts to help build a new Lebanese consensus that focuses on electoral reform, an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and the development of the economy that provides for a fair distribution of services, opportunities and employment."
Brooks took issue with that statement, writing it has the "whiff" of "appeasement."
"Is Obama naïve enough to think that an extremist ideological organization like Hezbollah can be mollified with a less corrupt patronage system and some electoral reform?" asked Brooks, who said he called Obama today to clarify his remarks.
Obama immediately affirmed Hezbollah is "not a legitimate political party." Instead, "It's a destabilizing organization by any common-sense standard. This wouldn’t happen without the support of Iran and Syria."
He continued by stating Hamas and Hezbollah violence weakens the groups' "legitimate claims."
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Say good bye to Florida B. Hussein Obama! Why would any Jewish person vote for the schmuck?
Yeah, let's ask them WHY they hate. WTF?
This NEEDS to be in breaking.
This idiot is giving legitimacy to terror groups, not political parties or national governments....
How can you negotiate with a group that has nothing to negotiate with other than violence??? That is called appeasement, not negotiation...
...and if Mr. Obama tries to name just ONE ‘legitimate’ claim that these terror groups may have...he should be asked to make a parallel analysis of Hitler’s ‘legitimate’ claims and how they were hurt by his hate-speech and violence, and what he would have been done to legitimize the Nazi party.
But that’s unfair to ask of him...liberals don’t need to cite facts, figures, or examples!
Who doesn't? What nation, tribe, sect, clan, group or team in all of human history hasn't been able to lodge a legitimate claim about something? Certainly we want to be as fair and neigborly as possible, but at the end of the day, politics is the art and science of advancing your nation's interest.
But what of this strange character we have running for office? Does he really think it's possible to right the wrongs of the world without creating new ones? Or does he not care, so long as it's done in the name of fairness?
Is Obama so tired of the American Empire that he's now running as the American Umpire?
Terrorists are just misunderstood!
Don't count on it.
Still, if we are to ever stop the violence we will have to listen to both sides to come to a fair and just solution. They must however stop all violent acts first. Otherwise they should be dealt with as wild rabid animals.
Yes we do ... and the Obamanation is running too ...
Hamas, Hezbullah et al. are salivating at the feast they see
before them if Obozo is elected. Boy I hope they are in for a surprise under the McCain administration.
Are you kidding?
We've been listening for decades & all it's done is gotten people murdered.
McCain campaign commercial alert! Hezbollah and Hamas have no legitimacy, in any way shape or form! How complicated is that? Root causes again?? So we’re back to being asked to apologize for 9/11!!
Now we know what he was driving at when he said to sit down with our enemies. He just wants to appease what he sees as ‘legitimate claims.’ In the words of jrooney, this is definitely Obama’s macaca moment.
Note that this interview was in May, not this week.
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.