Hamas trying to 'torpedo' peace talks in Middle East: Cheney

[Praxius]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/03/24/cheney-hamas.html

United States Vice-President Dick Cheney said Monday that Hamas, with support from Syria and Iran, is trying to "torpedo" peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.

Meeting reporters after having breakfast with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Cheney said, "It is clearly a difficult situation, in part, because I think it's true, there's evidence, that Hamas is supported by Iran and Syria and that they're doing everything they can to torpedo the peace process."

Cheney said in his meeting with Palestinian leaders on Sunday they talked about efforts underway in Yemen to encourage reconciliation between moderate and militant Palestinians.

"My conclusion after talking about this with the Palestinians is that they have established some preconditions before they would ever consider a reconciliation, including a complete reversal of the Hamas takeover of Gaza," he said.

Asked whether the U.S. supports the Yemeni mediation effort to bridge differences between Hamas and Fatah, a senior administration official travelling with Cheney and speaking on condition of anonymity said the U.S. has made it clear that it will not support working with Hamas unless there is a fundamental change in the group's current role, which the U.S. describes as terrorist.

An Israeli official on Monday said Israel would halt peace talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if he reconciles with Hamas. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.

Iran and Syria to some extent are marching in lockstep to foment trouble in the region, the official said, adding that they have resupplied Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon with a significant inventory of weapons since the summer of 2006 and that these weapons have become increasingly sophisticated in terms of range and accuracy.

He said the two countries, Syria in particular, are clearly operating to deny the Lebanese the opportunity to govern themselves.

'Continuing problem'

Cheney said one of the ongoing concerns of all the parties involved in the peace process is the extent to which arms are being smuggled across the Egyptian border into Gaza.

"It's a continuing problem," he said. "All of that obviously has resulted in the ongoing activity of launching rockets into Israel and threatening the lives of Israelis and obviously making it difficult for there to be the kind of progress that I think we would all like to see."

Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said Abbas cited the need for calm in the West Bank and Gaza, and said Israel must halt settlement expansion.

"I can't say that Mr. Cheney brought anything new in his visit, but he reiterated President [George W.] Bush's vision and commitment to having an independent Palestinian state," Erekat said.

Israel has pursued peace with Abbas, a moderate Palestinian in control of the West Bank. Hamas militants wrested control of the Gaza Strip in June from Abbas-allied forces. Hamas has pounded southern Israel with rockets; Israel has retaliated with attacks in Gaza.

After his breakfast with Olmert — their second meeting in two days — Cheney headed to Turkey to meet with President Abdullah Gul.

In Turkey, a chief NATO ally, Cheney will discuss the Turks' recent eight-day ground incursion to hit Kurdish rebels who are using bases in northern Iraq as a launch pad for attacks in Turkey.

 

[MikeyDB]

Isn't it amazing that America foreign policy is being conducted by a man who can't wield a shotgun without shooting his friend?

 

[EastSideScotian]

HAMAS? haha pfffffffft...Hamas is just doing it for the CIA....No one wants peace there accept for the Civillians on moth sides.

Besides that theroy, No one in Bushes cabnit so to speak has any Foreign Policy expericance....I would like to punch them each in the face for screwing the world up so badly. Then actting like they are not doing anything.

 

[MikeyDB]

When Chaney says that Syria and Iran are supplying weapons to Hamas....is he using the same "intelligence" he and his fellow Whitehouse scum used to convince America to invade Iraq?

Why do Americans sit idly by while their nation is sold out from under them?

 

[Praxius]

The thing I find funny is that regardless of the rocket attacks by Hamas, and the attacks back from Israel, both sides were still recently planning to continue to the peace talks.

So of course Bush sends in the fat old bald guy who's cross-eyed and color blind enough to not be able to determine between a human sized human in an orange vest and a brainless brown partridge, to tell them that Iran and Syria indirectly, but directly with Hamas, are messing around with the peace process, and they have the evidence to prove it.... yack yack yack.

I guess last time things didn't work out perfectly when he sent Rice to claim the same crap, so Bush sends in this fool I wouldn't trust with an apple and razors on Halloween.

 

[givpeaceachance]

Peace? Intelligence? What does this guy (or any of them) know about it? The whole administration is a humiliation to the words Peace and Intelligence.

 

[Colpy]

Peace? Intelligence? What does this guy (or any of them) know about it? The whole administration is a humiliation to the words Peace and Intelligence.

Well, certainly not more so than Hamas.......

 

[givpeaceachance]

Well, certainly not more so than Hamas.......

i agree with you.