Lula Says U.S. Responsible For Mid-East `Crisis,' Shouldn't Broker Talks Nov 21, 2009
Lula today supported the engagement of all actors in talks, citing Iran, Syria, Qatar and the Islamist movement Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Abbas fights against the tyranny of those who keep the Palestinian people segregated and imprisoned, he said in a speech in Bahia, the capital of Salvador state. (Bloomberg -- Latin America)
Palestinians to set new elections date Nov 21, 2009
RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinian officials yesterday announced that a new date for parliamentary and presidential elections will be set next month now that President Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to postpone the January vote, though the Gaza Strip s Hamas rulers maintain they will boycott the voting. The elections were supposed to be a central component of an Egyptian-mediated effort to reconcile Abbas and his rivals in the Islamic militant group Hamas ... Months of talks, however, have failed to... (Boston Globe)
Jordan's Abdullah: We will promote nuclear power for peaceful purposes Nov 21, 2009
" Do you see a clear linkages between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iranian nuclear threat and the threat of terrorism? "Through Hamas, Iran has been able to buy itself a seat on the table in talking about the Palestinian issue. And, as a result through Hamas it does play a role in the issue of the Palestinians, as strange as that should sound ... But in our case, Hamas insists on its refusal to recognize even our right to exists. (Yahoo News -- Jordan)
Time to treat extremists similarly Nov 20, 2009
And following Israel s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the Islamic extremist group Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006 and took over the Gaza Strip, which became a base for rocket attacks across the border into Israel. In Israel, by contrast, extreme right-wing political parties have never captured the hearts of large segments of the electorate, and with the passage of time, even parties on the right, such as Likud, have taken on a more centrist cast. (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
Abbas confirms Palestinian vote to be postponed Nov 20, 2009
The Central Election Commission announced last week it had advised Abbas to put off the election because Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip where some 1 ... Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 ... "Now for a realistic reason, due to certain conditions -- because of the rejection of Hamas and its threat to prevent (voting) by force, naturally they will be delayed, or the time of the elections will come later," Abbas said. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Israeli air strikes on Gaza Strip Nov 20, 2009
Rocket attacks have decreased since the Israeli forces led a war against Hamas in the Gaza strip, which began in December last year, the Israeli military says. But it says rocket-building materials are still being smuggled into Gaza through tunnels dug from the Egyptian border. (BBC News -- Africa)
Hamas-linked group offers bounty for Israeli soldiers Nov 19, 2009
Hamas offers bounty for Israeli soldiers ... GAZA CITY - A Gaza charity headed by the interior minister of the militant Hamas group yesterday offered $1 ... The organization, which supports Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, is headed by Hamas Interior Minister Fathi Hamad. (Boston Globe)
US takes aim over Jordan's shoulder Nov 19, 2009
The Palestinian forces have an open agenda to target Hamas and other Palestinian factions. In May, six people were killed when Dayton's forces attacked Hamas activists in the West Bank town of Qalqilya, sparking a gun battle that lasted several hours and took place without Israel's interference ... Hamas characterized the attack as "an awful crime" committed by "collaborators", while Abbas declared that his forces would continue to strike opposition groups "with an iron fist". (Asia Times Online)
U.N. Watchdog in Limbo After Attacking World Body Nov 19, 2009
Bayefsky blasted the Goldstone Report and called the U.N. a "laughingstock" for singling out Israel and ignoring human rights violations committed by the terrorist organization Hamas against Israeli and Palestinian civilians during the three-week campaign in December and January. "This is a resolution that purports to be evenhanded; it is anything but," she said of the document approved by the UNGA. "It is a travesty it calls for accountability, and in fact what we see instead is impunity for... (Fox News)
Nidal Hasan’s Ominous Islam Nov 19, 2009
It also is the same Islam that is taught by groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and Al-Qaeda ... Hasan s Islam coincides with that of the jihad terror group Hamas, which has announced its intention, once fully and firmly ensconced in power, to collect that Koran-mandated tax -- jizyah -- from the non-Muslims luckless enough to live within its domains. (Human Events Online)
Islamists, Iran pose threat Nov 19, 2009
These teachings informed the actions of the Muslim Brotherhood, the forerunner to Hamas that has spurred more than 70 offshoot organizations worldwide. When Adolf Hitler s Mein Kampf was translated into Arabic in 2003, it became the sixth all-time bestseller among Arabs. (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
Senate candidates discuss health care at forum Nov 18, 2009
Most of the speakers addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Brown criticizing Capuano for failing to support a 2008 resolution by the House of Representatives condemning Hamas for rocket attacks against Israel. "Israel is one of our best friends in the world," said Brown, adding that the resolution passed by a vote of 404-1. (Arlington Advocate, MA)
PLO's legislative body to extend Abbas term: official Nov 18, 2009
Abbas has called for presidential and parliamentary elections in January 2010, but Hamas, which controls Gaza, refused the call and banned the Central Elections Committee (CEC) from working in the Gaza Strip ... Hamas, which took Gaza by force in 2007, rejected an Egyptian proposal to reconcile with Fatah and restore political unity to the Palestinian territories. (Xinhuanet, China)
Israel approves new housing in east Jerusalem, dismaying US Nov 18, 2009
" And the Islamist Hamas movement, a bitter rival of Abbas's Fatah movement, poured cold water on any bid for international recognitiion. "The proclamation of a Palestinian state should be the result of the resistance putting an end to the occupation. and not a decision taken by (the Palestinian Authority) to fill the void after the political option has failed," said Hamas's exiled political supremo Khaled Meshaal. Israel captured east Jerusalem with the rest of the West Bank in the Six Day War... (Channelnewsasia.com)
US cool to bald declaration of an independent Palestine Nov 18, 2009
The example is given of the Israeli unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, which some Middle East analysts say only led to the rise to power of the extremist group Hamas and the Gaza war of December 2008. On Tuesday, the White House specifically warned that Israel's announcement about expanded settlements in Jerusalem "could unilaterally pre-empt, or appear to pre-empt, negotiations.". (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
Issues: Borders and settlements Nov 18, 2009
Hamas, which won the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary election, wants at all costs to avoid a peace deal with Israel that involves drawing permanent borders, because its wider aim is to establish a single, Islamic state within the borders of pre-1948 Palestine ... In the long term, therefore, Israel's reluctance to accept the existing Green Line in many ways plays into the hands of militant Islamist groups such as Hamas. (BBC News -- Africa)
Political turmoil Nov 18, 2009
Badly-needed elections are set to be postponed because of a split between Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza ... Hamas won a majority in the PLC elections and began its four year term in January 2006 ... Hamas has argued he was illegitimate after January 2009 and stopped recognising his authority. (BBC News -- Africa)
Israel, Palestine and America: Don't give up Nov 18, 2009
The Islamists of Hamas, still in military control of the Gaza Strip and at least on paper scornful of Israel s right to exist, square off against secular and more amenable Fatah, which runs a fledgling state on the West Bank, albeit one riddled with Israeli roads, barriers and Jewish settlements ... No deal will stick without the co-operation of Hamas, so Arab mediators, chiefly Egyptian, must persevere in bringing the two rivals together ... But the best bet, Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah man who... (The Economist)
* Palestinians to appeal to UN for state Nov 17, 2009
But last week, election officials postponed the vote indefinitely, saying that the militant Islamic Hamas control of the Gaza Strip made it impossible to proceed ... Erekat said the UN initiative would be to create a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, but Hamas has controlled Gaza since it expelled forces loyal to the Western-backed Abbas in 2007. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Democracy - it’s not for everyone Nov 17, 2009
An American-backed election brought Hamas to power in Gaza in 2006. But instead of honoring the voice of the people, Israel, with American connivance, simply locked the territory down, turning Gaza into a virtual prison in one of the most notable cases of collective punishment on the face of the globe. (Boston Globe)
Palestinians seek EU support for statehood Nov 17, 2009
Islamic Hamas militants violently wrested control of Gaza from Abbas loyalists in a 2007, complicating his ability to negotiate ... Hamas is sticking by its conviction that only armed struggle will win the Palestinians a state ... In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Abbas' decision to reach out to the Security Council was a sign of desperation. (Florida Today)
Would Palestinian Security Forces Survive if Abbas Quits? Nov 17, 2009
Last May in Qalqilya, the security force hunted down and killed a top Hamas operative. In the ensuing gunfight, three policemen were also shot dead, but the incident showed the Israelis that the security troops were willing to go toe to toe with Hamas ... "We see progress, but we won't give them full control of the cities. They're not capable of fighting Hamas and Islamic Jihad.". (Time.com)
Israel rejects Palestinian statehood bid via the UN Nov 16, 2009
"The Palestinians are stuck. We don't know when we'll next have elections. Hamas is procrastinating. Abbas has to achieve something just to keep functioning, and a declaration of statehood will give the PA a boost.". Get Monitor stories by e-mail. (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
PNA contacts with U.S., seeks UN recognition Nov 16, 2009
Hamas, the bitter rival of Fatah, has rejected an Egyptian proposal for reconciliation, keeping political split between the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and the West Bank on. "An important part of the visit would be dedicated to the reconciliation issue," Muhaissen said, adding that Fatah has signed the Egyptian proposal "and there will be no adjustment to the document" as Hamas demands. (Xinhuanet, China)
Strained Netanyahu Visit Shows Obama's Failed Middle-East Policy Nov 16, 2009
The peace process is also in turmoil because Abbas called for elections in January even though the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, refuses to participate and threatened to punish any Palestinian who supports the elections. Now, Abbas says he won t run for re-election and the State Department virtually admitted defeat when it said Obama s special envoy for Mideast peace, George Mitchell, has no immediate plans to return to the region to continue his push for a... (Human Events Online)
The PNA holds contacts with Washington to resume the Middle East peace process and at the same time it seeks the UN's recognition of an independent Palestinian statehood, a Palestinian official said Sunday.• Palestinians begin unilateral search for int'l recognition Nov 16, 2009
The ongoing standoff between Fatah, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip also means there is no effective internal governance. Lapidoth said Palestinian moves at the UN would not guarantee any form of legitimate Palestinian statehood because the legal demands have not been met. (Xinhuanet, China)
Click to read:Leahy: U.S. Not Afraid to Try Terrorists Nov 16, 2009
Hamas, Hezbolla, or the Taliban would be overjoyed to have you strutting around their camps shouting "Death to America". If you did that, it would be what we refer to as a "win-win" scenario. (CBS News)
Fanning the breeze Nov 14, 2009
How do you feel about President Obama giving millions to Gaza with no guarantee that the money will not fall into the hands of Hamas. Thanks to Rye for bringing a little sanity back to this discussion although you could have responded differently to Independent Voter. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Mideast Radicals Fill Space Left By Peace Impasse Nov 14, 2009
But deep divisions between Abbas and the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza remain a major obstacle to any peace agreement. Even in Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, there are ample signs of public, as well as official, frustration. (CBS News -- World)
Naysayers proven right on Middle East Nov 14, 2009
Palestinians face a paralysing double division: within the West Bank, where Abbas' position has been badly weakened by his failure to deliver on peace with Israel; and between Fatah and the Islamists of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where Yasser Arafat's successor is painted as no better than a collaborator with the occupation - presiding over a ''Vichy'' regime in Ramallah. Obama needs to choose between attempting to resolve the conflict in all its aspects - a so-called ''comprehensive peace''... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
West Bank's new soccer players Nov 14, 2009
"At first it seemed weird, women playing football in our society because it has a male mentality. Some families had problems sending their daughters to play football, some still face problems.--Honey Thaljieh The only way the national team could play was to travel to nearby Jordan, but that created its own problems as it was difficult for players from Gaza to get permission to leave. Since the 2007 Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip, it became even harder for women to take part. But the hardest... (CNN)
Hasan "Not One of Our Own," Soldier Says Nov 14, 2009
In order to make some sense the media is now portraying Hasan as some one man sleeper cell who had direct links to Hamas. How convenient for all those Israeli supporters and Muslim haters. (CBS News)
Crossing into Israel, African migrants dodge Egyptian bullets, Israeli jail threat Nov 14, 2009
In Israel, some on the right support talks with Hamas. Read why this is important for peace. (Christian Science Monitor)
Palestinians used as human shields Nov 14, 2009
An exceptionally inflammatory editorial cartoon in the Jan. 2 Times Union depicted a masked Hamas fighter throwing a missile labeled "Death to Israel" with one arm and holding a large round shield in his other hand with a Palestinian infant tied to it ... A September report prepared for the United Nations by former South African jurist Richard Goldstone concluded there is no evidence Hamas used human shielding during the Israeli assault on Gaza last winter ... Goldstone, who is Jewish and has... (Albany Times Union)
Rocket hits S Israel after Palestinian killed by IDF Nov 14, 2009
While security sources with Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement said Israeli soldiers stationed at Johor el-Deik neighborhood in Gaza opened fire at four Palestinian young men, killing one of them and detaining the other three ... Also on Friday, IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said if Hamas continues its rocket attacks against Israel, Israeli army would operate in Gaza again as a response ... Israel launched a major military offensive against the Hamas- controlled Gaza Strip last winter. (Xinhuanet, China)
Abbas unto the abyss Nov 14, 2009
Crippled by a bitter conflict between his secular Fatah party and the radical Islamic movement Hamas, mocked by his political opponents as the cat's paw of the West, repeatedly humiliated by the United States, deserted by the leaders of the European Union - and he has proven entirely ineffective in negotiations with the Israelis ... A distant relative, Mustafa Barghouti, 55, a doctor who established the Palestinian Medical Relief Society in 1979 and a vocal critic of the Palestinian old guard,... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Follow the Rockets Nov 14, 2009
On Wednesday, Hamas and Fatah that neither party wants, while the Israelis proclaim their willingness to discuss a peace agreement with. On Thursday, the Iranians suggest that they might be interested in the West's latest offerbut. (Slate)
Syria rebuffs Israeli offer of direct talks Nov 14, 2009
" onclick="Next();" src="/images/butt_next. Then we can really talk, if they're interested," he said in Paris, after talks with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy. Netanyahu visited Sarkozy on Wednesday, after which an Israeli official said the premier was "willing to meet the Syrian president at any time and anywhere to move on the peace negotiations on the basis of no pre-conditions. (Channelnewsasia.com)
Palestinian leaders recommend election delay Nov 14, 2009
Other officials in the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority said a January election in the West Bank and Gaza strip is impossible in light of the militant Hamas movement's refusal to permit voting in Gaza, which Hamas controls. "We received an answer from Hamas that we are not welcome in Gaza," said Hanna Nasser, chairman of the election commission ... A Hamas spokesman, Sami abu Zuhri, said the group opposed the election because it had been set unilaterally. (San Francisco Chronicle)
* Expelled West Bank student petitions Israel Nov 14, 2009
The incident highlights a deep fear among the thousands of Palestinians originally from Gaza who now live in the West Bank X sudden expulsion by the Israelis to the Hamas-ruled coastal strip ... Since Hamas militants violently seized control of Gaza in 2007, however, Israel has branded Gaza an enemy entity and imposed a blockade that includes strict travel restrictions on residents. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
Syria urges French Mid-East role Nov 14, 2009
While Israel is interested in drawing Syria away from more radical elements in the region - Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas - it is far from clear that Mr Netanyahu is willing to pay the price of the Golan Heights to achieve this goal, says the BBC's diplomatic correspondent, Jonathan Marcus. France has a strong interest in pushing for Israel-Syria talks, our correspondent adds, as it has been the leading player in Europe in trying to bring Damascus in from the diplomatic cold. (BBC News -- Africa)
Palestinian killed on Gaza border Nov 14, 2009
Gaza has been controlled by Hamas since it ousted Fatah forces in June 2007. The strips borders, airspace and coast line are controlled by Israel, and Egypt along the southern border. (BBC News -- Africa)
Israel call for Syria peace talks Nov 13, 2009
The BBC's Tim Franks in Jerusalem says Israel is keen to see Syria end its support for the Islamist groups, Hamas and Hezbollah, and to prise Syria away from Iran. Syria says it wants the entire Golan Heights region back. (BBC News -- Africa)
Palestinian election body urges vote delay, reflecting political disarray Nov 13, 2009
Hamas refused to cooperate ... Abbas cited a number of frustrations: his Fatah party's ongoing state of internecine conflict with Hamas in Gaza, Israel's stance vis--vis peace negotiations, and the Obama administration's failure to broker a breakthrough ... Hamas, in charge of the Gaza Strip, rejected Abbas's call for a ballot and said it would not participate, nor would it allow Gaza resident to vote. (Christian Science Monitor)
Palestinians urge cancellation of election Nov 13, 2009
Hanna Nasser, chairman of the Palestinian election commission, blamed the rival Hamas militant group for holding up the vote. He said Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, had refused to cooperate with election workers, making it impossible to hold the Jan. 24 vote ... "In the meantime, we received an answer from Hamas that we are not welcome in Gaza. It is clear now that we cannot hold an election in Gaza.". (MSNBC -- International)
Palestinians 'should delay polls' Nov 13, 2009
It said the vote scheduled for 24 January could not be held because Hamas had banned elections in Gaza and Israeli co-operation was not confirmed ... Mr Abbas called the elections for 24 January last month after his Fatah faction and its Hamas rivals failed to reach a reconciliation agreement paving the way for fresh polls ... Hamas, which forced Fatah loyalists from the Gaza Strip in June 2007, said it would not allow any activity related to the elections to take place in Gaza. (BBC News -- Africa)
Palestinian vote delayed, Abbas stays Nov 13, 2009
Commission cites defiance by Hamas ... The Palestinian Election Commission ruled yesterday that January s scheduled vote should be postponed because of opposition from the Islamic militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and is a rival of Abbas s Fatah faction ... Now it appears Abbas may have been signaling his need for more backing from the United States against Israel since Hamas s rejection of a vote was likely. (Boston Globe)
Jordan's Abdullah: We will promote nuclear power for peaceful purposes Nov 13, 2009
" Do you see a clear linkages between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iranian nuclear threat and the threat of terrorism? "Through Hamas, Iran has been able to buy itself a seat on the table in talking about the Palestinian issue. And, as a result through Hamas it does play a role in the issue of the Palestinians, as strange as that should sound ... But in our case, Hamas insists on its refusal to recognize even our right to exists. (Yahoo News -- Jordan)
Feds Still Seeking Fort Hood Terror Link Nov 13, 2009
Al Qaeda Connection Debunked, but Investigators Say Alleged Shooter May Have Had Ties to Hamas-Linked Group ... (CBS) Sources tells CBS News that investigators are continuing to look for any possible ties between the alleged Fort Hood shooter, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, and terrorist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, an affiliate of Hamas. (CBS News -- US)
Palestinians rally 5 years after Arafat's death Nov 13, 2009
He said that "on this occasion," he did not want to talk about his "wish not to run in the upcoming elections." Instead, in a 45-minute address to supporters of his Fatah movement, he focused on the tough challenges ahead and called for reconciliation with Hamas, the opposing Palestinian faction ... And he called on Hamas to join forces in the Palestinian national endeavor and to accept an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation deal with Fatah ... But it is far from clear that the presidential and... (San Francisco Chronicle)
Islamists, Iran pose threat Nov 13, 2009
These teachings informed the actions of the Muslim Brotherhood, the forerunner to Hamas that has spurred more than 70 offshoot organizations worldwide. When Adolf Hitler s Mein Kampf was translated into Arabic in 2003, it became the sixth all-time bestseller among Arabs. (Cleveland Jewish News, OH)
Abbas's elections call faces new challenge Nov 13, 2009
The Central Elections Committee (CEC) said that Hamas questioned the legitimacy of its work and refused to receive the committee's staff in the Gaza Strip where the Islamic Hamas movement holds sway ... Abbas decreed presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem on Jan. 24, 2010 after Hamas rejected an Egyptian offer to reconcile with his Fatah movement ... Meanwhile, Fatah has accused Hamas of "deepening" the internal Palestinian crisis by obstructing... (Xinhuanet, China)
In Paris, Benjamin Netanyahu finds growing European doubt on Middle East peace Nov 12, 2009
Do we want Hamas to be the sole representative of the Palestinian people ... Clinton's 180-degree reverse was unacceptable to the Palestinians, and it may have destroyed the Palestinian Authority," he said. Off to Gaza French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expects to travel to Gaza next week. He appealed Monday for Mr. Abbas not to leave his post as head of the Palestinian Authority, as he has threatened to do. Ahead of Netanyahu's visit, Mr. Kouchner questioned publicly whether Israel is... (Christian Science Monitor)
U.S.keeps pressure on Abbas after Netanyahu visit Nov 12, 2009
Many suspect Abbas is bluffing about both threatening to quit and even about holding elections that his Hamas Islamist rivals in the Gaza Strip have rejected. But doubts will linger. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
New mobile network in West Bank Nov 12, 2009
But it is thought that he could stay in post for some time, since the poll may be postponed if Hamas carries through a threat to block the vote in Gaza, which it controls. Arab and Israeli media have speculated that it could be a tactical manoeuvre and he could change his mind. (BBC News -- Africa)
Legal row over Gaza intensifies Nov 12, 2009
The Israelis argue they were acting in self-defence against years of rocket attacks by the militant Islamist movement Hamas, and took as much care for civilians as possible while fighting a non-conventional force embedded in the population. They are particularly outraged with the assertion that Israel's offensive was a "deliberately disproportionate attack designed to punish, humiliate and terrorise a civilian population", a conclusion Israeli officials have denounced as completely "removed from... (BBC News -- Africa)
Palestinians mark Arafat's death Nov 12, 2009
Mr Abbas, who is also leader of the Fatah movement, stressed that his hand remained extended to the Islamist group Hamas, which has said it will prevent elections from taking place in Gaza. Hamas seized control of the territory in 2007 ... Secondly, Palestinians were angered when the PA stopped pushing for a UN vote on a report that accused both Israeli forces and Hamas militants of committing war crimes during the Israeli offensive in Gaza last winter. (BBC News -- Africa)
Israel cites proof of weapons link to Iran Nov 12, 2009
Israel has showcased the haul as proof of its longstanding contention that Iran is supplying large quantities of arms to Hezbollah and Hamas militants in Gaza. Israel says the confiscated arms cache - the largest it has ever seized - did not include any new types of weapons for Hezbollah. (Boston Globe)
SCENARIOS - Outlook for Palestinians' muddled politics Nov 12, 2009
Leaving room for a change of heart, Abbas's declaration has muddled a Palestinian political picture already complicated by a deep division between the dominant Fatah and Hamas movements ... Hamas, which disputes Abbas's legitimacy, has banned participation in the Gaza Strip ... Hamas is not a member of the PLO.. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
* Preparations for Palestinian polls fail at the first hurdle Nov 12, 2009
POLITICAL GAMBLE: Analysts and diplomats doubt the election will proceed in January in a sign that President Mahmoud Abbas may have been bluffing to woo Hamas REUTERS , RAMALLAH, WEST BANK Thursday, Nov 12, 2009, Page 6 ... The election will split the Palestinian movement X with Hamas shouldering responsibility for the split X and at the same time remove from the scene the man the West counts on as peacemaker with Israel ... Abbas called the election last month in line with the Constitution,... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Is Hezbollah Gearing up for Another War with Israel? Nov 12, 2009
The cargo is considerably larger than anything previously intercepted, demonstrating the degree to which Hezbollah, and to a lesser extent Hamas in Gaza, is being resupplied by their main backer, Iran ... I am not saying that Hamas and Hezboillah are blame-free ... As an American what the hell do I care if Hamas or Hezballah destroy Israel. (Slate)
Why We Need al Qaeda Nov 12, 2009
I am not saying that Hamas and Hezboillah and AQ and other terrorists are blame-free ... The thesis ignores the fact that Islamic terrorism is already a hydra - Hezbollah, Hamas, the IRGC, JAM, and all the rest ... I am not saying that Hamas and Hezboillah and AQ and other terrorists are blame-free. (Slate)
At Yasser Arafat anniversary, Palestinians lament loss of former leader and unity Nov 12, 2009
"Now with this division between Fatah and Hamas it's (as) if we have two peoples in two different states." ... Though the vote is scheduled for January, other Palestinian sources say that Hamas and Fatah may actually be heading for a breakthrough and could sign an Egyptian-brokered reconciliation plan that calls for elections next June ... On Wednesday, the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Aziz Dweik, told the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper that Hamas will sign the... (Christian Science Monitor)
Abbas issues ultimatum Nov 12, 2009
Last Upd: 09:16am 12 Nov 2009. Life Insurance Quote. (iAfrica.com)
Netanyahu, Sarkozy make no settlement breakthrough Nov 12, 2009
The U.N. Human Rights Council endorsed a report calling on Israel and the Hamas militant group to carry out credible investigations into alleged abuses. Almost 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed during the Dec. 27-Jan. (MSNBC -- International)
