Obama To Open Back-Channel With Hamas?
4709174President-elect Barack Obama's team is likely to seek a back-channel, clandestine dialogue with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, according to a report in Britain's Guardian newspaper.
If confirmed (which they are unlikely to be in the near future – if ever), covert talks with Hamas would reverse a long-held Bush administration policy of completely refusing to deal with the group.
Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip for more than a year, since it seized power from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction after an election.
The Guardian report says Obama's likely Mideast-envoy-to-be, Richard Haass (at left), is in favor of creating a dialogue with the group.
"This is going to be an administration that is committed to negotiating with ?critical parties on critical issues," another source with knowledge of recent discussions among Obama's foreign policy team told the newspaper.
According to the sources who spoke to the Guardian, U.S. intelligence agencies could be used as a channel for communications with Hamas — communications which would likely never be acknowledged.
The current fighting in Gaza may serve only to solidify the Obama team's resolve to seek a quiet discussion with Hamas.
Israel has dropped a stunning array of explosives on the tiny Palestinian territory — allegedly "smart" bombs that "pinpoint" Hamas targets, and for days now Israeli ground forces have also operated inside the Gaza Strip. But rockets keep falling on Israel.
Israeli officials insist their goal is to crush Hamas, and they have certainly dealt a severe blow to the group's operations. But having now killed about 760 Palestinians – less than a third of whom were confirmed militants — they've also created a whole lot of sympathy for Hamas' cause in the Palestinian territories and in the neighboring Arab states.
For that reason, the group will never be completely destroyed by military means alone; the very attempt to do so ensures that it will always regenerate. Talking to the militants, Obama's team seems to hope, may be the way to turn Hamas away from it's modus operandi of terror.
But there are no guarantees it will work. Hamas could just as easily use any lull in fighting — under cover of clandestine negotiations — to clandestinely re-arm, then pull out of the quiet conversation (which the U.S. would still be unable to even acknowledge, more so in fact) and then go back attacking Israel.
Welcome to the White House, Mr. Obama. Roll the dice.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. If confirmed (which they are unlikely to be in the near future – if ever), covert talks with Hamas would reverse a long-held Bush administration policy of completely refusing to deal with the group.
Hamas has controlled the Gaza Strip for more than a year, since it seized power from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction after an election.
(KEYSTONE/Laurent Gillieron)
"This is going to be an administration that is committed to negotiating with ?critical parties on critical issues," another source with knowledge of recent discussions among Obama's foreign policy team told the newspaper.
According to the sources who spoke to the Guardian, U.S. intelligence agencies could be used as a channel for communications with Hamas — communications which would likely never be acknowledged.
The current fighting in Gaza may serve only to solidify the Obama team's resolve to seek a quiet discussion with Hamas.
Israel has dropped a stunning array of explosives on the tiny Palestinian territory — allegedly "smart" bombs that "pinpoint" Hamas targets, and for days now Israeli ground forces have also operated inside the Gaza Strip. But rockets keep falling on Israel.
Israeli officials insist their goal is to crush Hamas, and they have certainly dealt a severe blow to the group's operations. But having now killed about 760 Palestinians – less than a third of whom were confirmed militants — they've also created a whole lot of sympathy for Hamas' cause in the Palestinian territories and in the neighboring Arab states.
For that reason, the group will never be completely destroyed by military means alone; the very attempt to do so ensures that it will always regenerate. Talking to the militants, Obama's team seems to hope, may be the way to turn Hamas away from it's modus operandi of terror.
But there are no guarantees it will work. Hamas could just as easily use any lull in fighting — under cover of clandestine negotiations — to clandestinely re-arm, then pull out of the quiet conversation (which the U.S. would still be unable to even acknowledge, more so in fact) and then go back attacking Israel.
Welcome to the White House, Mr. Obama. Roll the dice.
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Posted by notblue at 05:56 PM : Jan 09, 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
notblue, the world being anti-Semitic would be no more wrong than if they were anti-Islamic or anti anything.
It is a fact that Jews have been forcibly resisted and/or thrown out of almost every country they have ever resided in, and the underlying reason is almost always MONEY, starting with the, alleged, golden calf in biblical times.
Posted by notblue at 05:56 PM : Jan 09, 2009
Hello, wake up. The entire world is already Anti-Semitics according to our US State Department, Anti-Semitics is exploding around the world:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1334791720080314?feedType=RSSfeedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true
Israel alone is Engraving it own Death Sentence on Stone. Don''t blame just me brother.
Posted by notblue at 05:56 PM : Jan 09, 2009
Are you a registered Zionist or a Rabbi Extremist or are you intimidated not to answer?
Hamas Palestinians get land in a tropical vacation hot spot.
Ends the Hamas / Israeli friction.
And will provide some fantastic news stories from the Cubans trying to deal with these psychos.
(Although I don''t think Castro or Raul would give a %$#& about international perceptions as he would likely just executed them on sight.)
[Posted by TexHillGirl at 05:09
PM : Jan 09, 2009]
what''s this based on ... your delusional view of the world?
Congratulations on electing their arabic/muslim brethern!
Posted by TexHillGirl at 05:09 PM : Jan 09, 2009
Thank you very much. According to the Christian Bible, they are all my brothers and sisters just like you are regretably my sister.
Posted by oldtimer1942 at 04:39 PM : Jan 09, 2009
According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, LEGAL Hispanics have a very High Positive birth rate and Anglo-Saxon Whites have a High Negative birth rate. Assuming constant current birth rates, LEGAL Hispanics will become the Majority race in the entire USA by the year 2042. However, both Senator McCain and President Obama will legalize all 12 millions Undocumented Aliens (Amnesty). Therefore, the Hispanics Majority status will happened much sooner than 2042.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/13/national/main4349428.shtml
After the Hispanics become the Majority in America by 2042, there will be no Immigration laws to break since the following new laws will be passed by the U.S. Congress and Signed by the U.S. President:
-No more Raids.
-Amnesty for all Undocumented Aliens.
-Elimination of the Quota system in the U.S. Immigration laws.
-Return of all U.S. Stolen Territories back to Mexico.
-Tear down all Border Walls.
-Eliminate the Border Patrol Agency.
-Spanish as the Official U.S. Language.
-Named the Minuteman Project a Terrorist Organization.
-Not add the White species to the Endanger Species Act.
-Outlaw the Republican Party.
-Return Jerusalem to Palestine since they have the same skin color as all Hispanics whom have Arab Roots.
Yes, please pray for me.
Last weekend, America was alone in this world who refused a meeting of the Security Council at the United Nations to discuss this conflict. Shame!
Either you are right and the world is wrong OR you are wrong and the world is right.
According to our US State Department, Anti-Semitics is exploding around the world:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN1334791720080314?feedType=RSSfeedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true