US holds secret talks to weaken Hamas

[ECH1969]

SENIOR Israeli and Palestinian representatives have held secret talks in America to discuss ways of sidelining Hamas, the Islamic militant group that took power for the first time in the Palestinian territories yesterday after emerging as the surprise victor in elections last month.

Senior figures linked to the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government took part in two days of talks in Texas. The meeting was chaired by Edward Djerejian, 65, a former US ambassador to Israel and Syria, who was briefed by the US State Department before it began.

News of the contacts between the Israelis and supporters of the Fatah party of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, emerged as the new Palestinian parliament, dominated by Hamas, was sworn in yesterday in Ramallah, on the West Bank. Abbas then asked Hamas to form a government.

Hamas, which is committed to the destruction of Israel, immediately rejected calls by Abbas to open negotiations with the Jewish state. Abdel Aziz Duaik, who was elected speaker, said Hamas would try to live up to its “rightful duty to resist occupation”.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2047139,00.html

[ingac70]

1. It was the idea of the US to allow Hamas to run.....

So much for FREE elections.

[bigdarryl]

2. Secret talks

So much for democracy

[Popol Vuh]

3. Correct me if I am mistaken

But wouldn’t these talks be classified as: “Conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism”? or at the very least “Conspiracy to sabotage and overthrow a democratically elected government?”

I don’t know but if you ask me I’d say that these talks put them in the same category as BinLaden and ilk. Yes? No? :shrug: