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Hamas chief says Europe to resume Palestinian aid
Mouse roars again. Film at eleven...CAIRO (AFP) - Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said on Friday some European countries had decided to resume aid to the Palestinian government, which has been crippled by a Western funding freeze since Hamas rose to power."Some European countries have decided on an annual support sum for the Palestinian government and have been in contact with Palestinian officials," the exiled Hamas politburo chief told a news conference in Cairo. He declined to specify which countries so as "to not hamper" what he described as a positive move. The check is in the mail... Meshaal is on a tour of various capitals to push acceptance of the so-called Mecca Accord, signed on February 8 between rivals Hamas and Fatah in order to forge a new unity government. Step right up. There's a sucker born every minute... At a top-level meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, the Quartet on the Middle East -- United States, Russia, European Union and United Nations -- said it would wait until the new Palestinian government takes office to decide whether or not to lift sanctions, which have been in place for nearly a year. "The blockade is a crime, in the past as it is today," Meshaal said. "It is unjustifiable. But after the Mecca accord, and after the formation of a unity government, it must not continue for another instant." Demanding little fruit, aint he? Well, watch this... Meshaal, who on Thursday acknowledged "a policy of waiting and seeing," again urged the United States, which regards Hamas as a terrorist group, to adjust its stance. "The Americans must change their position," he said. Or...what? Dire Revenge? "The international community and the entire world must realise that the post-Mecca accord is different than the pre-Mecca accord. And those who do not take account of this change are making a big mistake." Meshaal added, however, that "Hamas has not changed its priorities. We choose what suits us, not what suits the Quartet." Yeah, that sounds real different... He also dismissed comments by an Israeli government spokesman on Friday who reiterated the Jewish state's position that no one should have dealings with Hamas, describing them as a "fatwa," a term typically used for Muslim religious edicts. Meshaal said: "Neither Arabs nor Muslims are concerned by the Israeli fatwa and I think that the international community, for whom Israel has become a burden, will not pay attention either." A "burden"? You mean like that useless little shithole you're in charge of... Meshaal on Monday heads to Russia -- the only one of the four major powers sponsoring the stalled peace process to have diplomatic ties with the radical Islamist movement -- to drum up support for ending international embargoes. Make sure you shake them down for dollars, not rubles. Posted by: tu3031 2007-02-23 |
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