Article

2005-01-13 Israel-Palestine

Israel doubts Mahmoud Abbas will disarm Hamas

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Posted by Fred 2005-01-13 00:00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 That is a big whoop!

Posted by John Q. Citizen 2005-01-13 10:13:10 AM|| 2005-01-13 10:13:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 you can tell he tried when his funeral starts

Posted by Frank G 2005-01-13 10:24:55 AM|| 2005-01-13 10:24:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 LOL. Very perceptive Frank. Can we expect this funeral to happen anytime soon?

Posted by John Q. Citizen 2005-01-13 10:42:42 AM|| 2005-01-13 10:42:42 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 âAbu Mazen will try to convince (Hamas) and appeal to Palestinian public opinion to put pressure on the terrorists by explaining that this generation has suffered enough...â

Right idea, wrong agent (Hamas) to do it. Kinda like Bundy preaching against murder. When the Palestinian people reject the terrorists from their homes and protection, then they will have set the foundation for their state. Little problem though-literal religious interpretation of the Quran will keep them in jihad against Israel for all eternity.

Posted by Jules 187 2005-01-13 10:49:09 AM|| 2005-01-13 10:49:09 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Abbas is reportedly reordering the PA cabinet. Most importantly hes firing the pro-Arafat Interior Minister, and replacing him with an Abbas loyalist. This is a switch he tried to make for months, in 2003 when Arafat was alive. So he could take control of PA security services. Arafat stopped the switch. Now it happens within days of the election. First step to cleaning out the security forces. Cant hardly try to disarm Hamas when his own security forces are dominated by Arafat loyalists.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-01-13 11:15:20 AM|| 2005-01-13 11:15:20 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Yeah, there are some sticky issues there. Foxes and chickens mixed together doesn't tend to produce a lot of trust or hope, at least from my point of view.

If Hamas continues to have both a political and a terrorist/suicide wing, and Abbas continues to work with Hamas, I don't see how anyone in the West can press for the Peace Plan. Has there been a change in policy that we are now willing to identify and meet with terrorists as legitimate political partners? That's part of what Hamas is-part poison is still poisonous.

If you argue yes, if you meet with Hamas, why not meet with the Basques? Why not meet the Muslim rebels in Indonesia or with Janjaweed in Sudan or with any other terrorist group-if we work with Hamas through Abbas, doesn't that set a dangerous precedent?

Posted by Jules 187 2005-01-13 11:28:15 AM|| 2005-01-13 11:28:15 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 or meet with Sinn Fein? Or meet with Arafat?

That precedents been made before. The key is what you talk about, and how. Most Israelis have learned from the Arafat experience the difficulties in turning someone into an ex-terrorist - I dont think they will talk directly with Hamas, allow Hamas a role in govt like Arafat had, etc. But if Abbas wants to sign a temporary Hudna (arent ALL hudnas temporary?) with Hamas while he consolidates his position, I cant see Israel objecting, though I hope and expect they will strengthen their own position (militarily and diplomatically) meanwhile. The question then will be whether Abbas is a machiavelli, willing to talk to Hamas now, to turn on them later, or if hes a misguided pacifist, who will NEVER turn on Hamas.

Right now though, he has POLITICAL leverage on Hamas, if not military leverage - after his election Hamas would look bad (with the Pals) to defy him - but not if he attacks them. It makes sense to use that leverage. The question will come up when Abbas has to settle for less than maximal terms with Israel, and Hamas reacts violently - what will Abbas do? Unsatisfying though it is, I think the best Israeli strategy is to wait and see.

Wheels within wheels.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-01-13 1:02:29 PM|| 2005-01-13 1:02:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Its not really a religious thing with the Palestinians -- the PLO was your typical secular, socialist, national "liberation" terrorist group, the kind the Soviets sponsored so many of. The leadership cadre, including Arafat, were trained in Moscow. The Islamist groups came later, when it became apparent that the PLO wasn't going to achieve the aim of a judenfrei state from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, from Lebanon/Syria to Egypt.

Posted by trailing wife 2005-01-13 10:12:43 PM|| 2005-01-13 10:12:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 And then you have all the madarassas cranking out Koranite nutcases that we will have to deal with for the next 30 years. Thanks to the the Islamists, we have a whole generation of broken people to deal with. How do you make peace with this type of people? And to make it worse, they are still being cranked out?

Posted by Alaska Paul 2005-01-13 10:18:01 PM|| 2005-01-13 10:18:01 PM|| Front Page Top

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