Hamas 'secures stunning victory'

[Sean]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4650788.stm

There are strong indications that the Islamic militant group Hamas has won a stunning victory in Wednesday's Palestinian parliamentary elections. Official results were to be announced at about 1900 local time (1700 GMT). PM Ahmed Qurei has offered to resign. A Hamas win will pose a great dilemma for international efforts to restart peace talks with Israel, say analysts. US President George W Bush said the US would not deal with Hamas unless it renounced its call to destroy Israel. "I've made it very clear that the US does not support political parties that want to destroy our ally Israel," he said.

[Matt W]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4649606.stm

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has announced his resignation, saying Hamas must form the next government following the parliamentary elections. It comes as the militant Islamic group appeared to be heading for a shock win. With counting still under way, officials from the ruling Fatah party said Hamas had won a majority. Official results are due at 1900 (1700 GMT). Israel, the US and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist group and have said they do not want to deal with it. "I am going to present my resignation to President Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] and Hamas should form the [new] government," Mr Qurei told journalists, according to AFP news agency.

Well. Let's see what Israel says about this....

[SlantedFacts]

ALL Hell is about to break loose in the mid east!

Get ready to here a LOT about

• Hamas
• Iran
• Syria
• and of course "Iraq"
• .... a sneaking hunch is also looking towards Egypt this year.
• We need to watch Korea
• China
  
• . . . and Cuba as well!

Welcome to an unglued world infested by Liberal Socialism.

People refuse to learn from the actual history of Socialist countries that have horribly failed and hurt so many blindly faithful followers of such political stupidity!

[Matt W]

*blinks*

An interesting statement. Do you see Europe as having 'horribly failed' because of the majority of Socialist geovernments?? :rolleyes:

No, don't answer that....try and focus on the topic.

[Samildanach]

Hamas just won it.!!!! Another triumph for US style much vaunted democracy.
what the hell do you do when most of the people back a violent militant government?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/4650788.stm

[pubmanager]

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US policy on Hamas was unchanged, and the movement would have to renounce violence.

Yes, of course Hamas must renounce violence, Ms Rice is absolutely correct, violence to further political aims is solely the preserve of wetern democracy, who do these people think they are? This majority backed democratically elected body have no right to chose how best to represent the will of the people, that's just madness! Whoever heard of such a thing as an elected party blowing people up and killing people to further political aims?

[sarcasm alert]

[leftcider]

I wonder how much of Hamas's support reflects the population's agreeing with violent religious extremism, and how much stems from Fatah's ineptitude.

Either way, these results damage the commonly forwarded notion of the "average, moderate" Palestinian.

I don't see a peace process as being at all possible now. Perhaps Israel will unilaterally withdraw from less strategic areas of the West Bank out of practical considerations.

[Nono]

Quote by: leftcider These results damage the commonly forwarded notion of the "average, moderate" Palestinian.

That's one reading. Another is that they're simply fed up (not least with Fatah).

After all, lefty, was the early Knesset full of wild-eyed bombers-layers who became part of the Israeli mainstream? You bet. Why not allow the same thing to happen in the Territories?

[jose]

snip
Hamas operates mosques, schools, clinics, and social programs but is best known in the West for its military wing
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0822500.htm

According to U.S. law enforcement officials and Israeli security authorities, Hamas raises funds in the U.S. through mosques, Muslim organizations and legitimate charitable organizations and engages in various other activities here. The amount of money raised in the U.S. as well as the nature and scope of Hamas activities on our shores are difficult to document.

Most of the funds raised here flow to Hamas-run hospitals, schools and charities with only a portion diverted to Hamas' armed wing to finance terrorist attacks. That most of the money indeed goes to humanitarian services renders it extremely difficult to sever private American donations to Hamas.

http://www.jewishpost.com/jp0203/jpn0303.htm

[jose]

snip
Israel and Hamas may currently be locked in deadly combat, but, according to several current and former U.S. intelligence officials, beginning in the late 1970s, Tel Aviv gave direct and indirect financial aid to Hamas over a period of years.

Israel "aided Hamas directly -- the Israelis wanted to use it as a counterbalance to the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization)," said Tony Cordesman, Middle East analyst for the Center for Strategic Studies.

Israel's support for Hamas "was a direct attempt to divide and dilute support for a strong, secular PLO by using a competing religious alternative," said a former senior CIA official. :eek:

http://www.upi.com/inc/view.php?Stor...2-051845-8272r

[Rainbow]

Quote by: Sean http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4650788.stm

"There are strong indications that the Islamic militant group Hamas has won a stunning victory in Wednesday's Palestinian parliamentary elections. Official results were to be announced at about 1900 local time (1700 GMT). PM Ahmed Qurei has offered to resign. A Hamas win will pose a great dilemma for international efforts to restart peace talks with Israel, say analysts. US President George W Bush said the US would not deal with Hamas unless it renounced its call to destroy Israel. "I've made it very clear that the US does not support political parties that want to destroy our ally Israel," he said."

Hamas has no choice but to re-write its political credo, with concern to the Foreign Policy. If Hamas goes for the changes, then we would see some frictions within that body, while assassinatins and/or alike events would follow that.
Otherwise, no progress option would polarize relationship between these 2 states, with its negative outcomes. Syria along with Iran would be delighted Hamas upholds its destructive stance on Israel.

Regardless of Hamas decision, that body would become a subject of political pressure, from all the sides. I see intelligence agencies would scramble to achieve their goals, not to mention eventual outcomes.
Winning the election does not indicate a celebration party, and Hamas must be aware of that fact.

Do not forget it, that Hamas has created a network that serves as a social relief for Palestinians. That is a significant factor that helps Hamas as well.

[rcne]

Now that Hamas is driving the truck, or bus of Palistine, they can't help but to moderate their creedo.

I don't see what the fuss is about, this party now has to solve problems rather than stand on the sideline pointing to problems. They do have a social program in place, and it is the fundamentalist military side that the US paints as Hamas.

What better way to provide the security from terrorism than to have the terrorists party in the majority - which means they will have to answer to the minority if they can't control their faction.

Isn't this similar to Iraq where they want all parties involved in the government?

[Apeman81]

Give in to terrorists, and you empower them. The people known as the Palestinian Street saw results from terror. Naturally further terror will ensue, as gains realized become gains imagined. Hamas still has its goal the eradication of Israel.

A foolish policy has lead to a fools reward.

[rcne]

From what I've seen on the news, the majority and the minority may have some problems. Internal struggles for power seems to be the immediate concern.

Then of course, we can stop funding them. Though then I assume Iran will step in. This could be a bigger problem than Hamsa.

[Mr.Vicchio]

I think this is a great thing. Imagine, the first meeting of their parliment, all thier leaders together...

And the stealth bonmber overhead dropping a 2,000lbs bomb right into the middle of the building.

Ahhh, what a good plan.

Before you freak on me for the above, consider two simple facts:

1. Hamas has, as part of it's platform, "The utter obliteration of the Jeweish state" (Paraphrased of course, but you are welcome to prove me wrong if you can).

2. The Hamas system is one used in the mid 1930's. "Are you cold, hungery, poor? You know whose fault it is don't you? It's those damn dirty Jews! Just give us power and we will destroy them!"

You are more then welcome, again to disprove me ath Hamas doesn't have, as a central goal, the destruction of Isreal, and all Jews. If you think that is a good thing, by all means, say so.

[RickSp]

This is exactly what Bush has been demanding - democracy in the Middle East. The old adage, be careful what you wish for, comes to mind.

Fatah deserved to lose. It was corrupt and did a lousy job governing the territories. Time will tell how Hamas will do in its stead. Until 1993 Fatah was also sworn to the destruction of Isreal. It will be interesting to see how Hamas and Isreal come to terms with each other.

[Sgt. Rock]

Quote by: Mr.Vicchio I think this is a great thing. Imagine, the first meeting of their parliment, all thier leaders together... And the stealth bonmber overhead dropping a 2,000lbs bomb right into the middle of the building. Ahhh, what a good plan. Before you freak on me for the above, consider two simple facts: 1. Hamas has, as part of it's platform, "The utter obliteration of the Jeweish state" (Paraphrased of course, but you are welcome to prove me wrong if you can). 2. The Hamas system is one used in the mid 1930's. "Are you cold, hungery, poor? You know whose fault it is don't you? It's those damn dirty Jews! Just give us power and we will destroy them!" You are more then welcome, again to disprove me ath Hamas doesn't have, as a central goal, the destruction of Isreal, and all Jews. If you think that is a good thing, by all means, say so.

I'm with you Vic. I think the people who belive that hamas will stop using
people to blow up others are fooling themselves. Why stop now? What
amazes me is that even though the citizens know that hamas murders
randomly to get what they want they elect them anyway :eek: Talk about
a screwed up moral code. Lets hear it for Islam :rolleyes:

[Apeman81]

Quote by: Sgt. Rock I'm with you Vic. I think the people who belive that hamas will stop using people to blow up others are fooling themselves. Why stop now? What amazes me is that even though the citizens know that hamas murders randomly to get what they want they elect them anyway :eek: Talk about a screwed up moral code. Lets hear it for Islam :rolleyes:

"I think the people who belive that hamas will stop using people to blow up others are fooling themselves"

C'mon, Sgt Rock, Nobody is that stupid.

Are they?

[bishop]

i also don't see what the big deal is all about.. it's hardly like fatah's hands were clean when it came to terrorism - they supported it themselves. (this seems to be the extreme of choosing the lesser of two evils.)

while the plo was running around corrupt as all hell, hamas was providing some public aid.

[Radioactive Man]

Quote by: Sgt. Rock I think the people who belive that hamas will stop using people to blow up others are fooling themselves. Why stop now? What amazes me is that even though the citizens know that hamas murders randomly to get what they want they elect them anyway

The only "bright" side to this is that when Hamas sends the next guy to blow himself up on a bus full of kids, then it's a state action and an act of war.

I say when that happens we leave Israel to its own devices, stop badgering them to "show restraint" and let 'em roll over Gaza and West Bank, claiming the territories once and for all for themselves.