|
Laugh of the Day -- Hamas: Kassams brought Gaza pullout
Expected from the Paleo Lions of Pointless PosturingHamas leader Mahmoud Zahar on Monday rejected Palestinian Authority claims that the firing of rockets on Israel was causing damage to Palestinian interests, saying the attacks had brought about the decision to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Zahar was speaking after meeting with an Egyptian delegation headed by Mustafa Buhairi, deputy head of intelligence. It was the second meeting between the Egyptian team and Hamas leaders in less than 24 hours. Zahar reportedly told Buhairi and his team that Hamas would abide by the unofficial truce if Israel halted its attacks on Hamas activists in the West Bank and Gaza. "There's nothing new in our position," Zahar said, describing the talks with the Egyptian delegation as positive. "The truce is conditional on Israel halting its aggression on our people. When they attacked us, we had to respond and defend ourselves." He strongly dismissed the argument made by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas according to which the rocket attacks on Israel were causing more damage to the Palestinians than Israel. "Who said that the rockets are harmful to the national interests of the Palestinians," Zahar asked. "History has proven that the rockets have been in the interests of the Palestinians. The rockets have forced Israel to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and they will end the occupation in the future. It's the resistance, and not the negotiations, that brought about the end of the occupation." He also dismissed allegations that his movement was planning to replace the PA. "No one wants to create an alternative authority," he stressed. "We want one elected authority and that's why we are insisting on holding elections. We want an authority that is immune from corruption and the only way to achieve this is through the ballot boxes," he said. Hamas representatives have agreed to participate in a meeting of various Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip to discuss ways of maintaining the truce and preventing internecine fighting. The meeting will take place in Gaza City on Tuesday evening. Ibrahim Abu Naja, head of the Palestinian follow-up committee for national and Islamic factions, said the Egyptians were playing a significant role in easing tensions between Hamas and the PA. "This dialogue is important because it is aimed at ending disputes between Hamas and the PA," he said. Abu Naja said the arrival of the Egyptian delegation was aimed at ending the current dispute. "The Egyptians are a major part in the dialogue and they will stay in the Gaza Strip until they achieve their goals," he said. "The presence of the Egyptian brothers is essential to avoid more confrontations." Blah, blah, blah, posture, pose, blather, brag, bullshit. Posted by: .com 2005-07-19 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=124409 |