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Zahar: Kidnapping IDF troops still a viable option
 Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar said Friday that the possibility of kidnapping IDF soldiers had not been ruled out by Hamas as a tactic for forcing the release of Palestinian security prisoners currently incarcerated in Israel. Speaking at a Hamas rally in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, Zahar said he demanded that Israel release prisoners in exchange for the release of kidnapped IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit. Israel is a "cancer" in the Middle East, Zahar continued, and added that Hamas would never recognize its existence. "Israel is a growth on our land," he said. "It has no historical, religious, or cultural justification, and we will never establish relations with this 'cancer.' We will never recognize Israel - this is a final, non-negotiable decision," Zahar declared. Zahar's comments echoed those made by Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Mashaal a week ago, who reiterated that Hamas would never recognize Israel, but indicated that his organization would consider swapping Shalit in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Posted by: Fred 2006-10-21 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=169227 |