Sunday, January 04, 2009
Did Carter Give Hamas False Hope?
Foreign Confidential....
A barely noticed and almost completely ignored end-of-year meeting between former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of Hamas' political wing, may have effectively encouraged the Foreign Terrorist Organization (U.S. designation) to resume rocket attacks on Israel leading to the present conflict Gaza.
Carter, who is broadly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause--and to Hamas in particular--met on December 14 in Damascus, Syria, with Meshaal. The five-hour meeting covered several issues, including Cpl. Gilad Shalit--an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas since June 2006.
Carter previously met with Meshaal in April.
In both meetings, sources say, Carter gave Meshaal the impression that the U.S. would not support an Israeli invasion of Gaza. The former President is said to have told Meshaal that the outgoing Bush administration had lost its stomach for war and the incoming Obama administration was not inclined to follow the administration's "Israel-centered" approach to the Middle East.
Meshall may have come away from the Dec. meeting more convinced than ever that Hamas could fire rockets at Israel without fear of a major, sustained reprisal.
Following the commencement of the Israeli air campaign, The Carter Center, which has offices in Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank, said Israel must cease attacks endangering civilians in the densely populated territory and Hamas leaders must halt rocket attacks against Israel.
The Carter Center released a statement saying Israel has a right to protect its citizens but "these operations are disproportionate and detrimental to the ongoing peace efforts."
It said bombing "contributes to the further radicalization of the Palestinian population and undermines Israel's long-term security interests.
POSTSCRIPT: Intelligence experts tell China Confidential that Meshall may be a marked man. Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza are said to be furious over his misleading intelligence and inability to mobilize Arab and Iranian intervention in Gaza. Many leaders and fighters question why he should be allowed to live out the war in safety and relative luxury while they are in constant danger of being bombed or assassinated by Israeli forces.Why Israel Opposes Another Ceasefire
An Israeli military expert tells China Confidential that if Israel were to agree to a total ceasefire with Hamas now for two or three years, Israel will soon see rockets in Gaza capable of hitting Tel Aviv.
Given that Hezbollah and Iranian missiles are already capable of hitting Tel Aviv, which is Israel's largest city and commercial capital, the downside risk is absolutely unacceptable.
Hamas, which is formally committed to Israel's violent destruction (see story below), could also bring in anti-aircraft batteries and threaten IAF flights over the Negev.
After that, the source says, "we could see 100 meter high Iranian intelligence antennae monitoring all Israeli military movements in the Negev."
Like many Israeli analysts, the source maintains that Iran is close to declaring itself a nuclear power and may already have the ability to make one nuclear bomb.
"Maybe we would get peace for a year or two, but the price would be a devastating blow to Israel's national security," he adds.Israel Captures Hitlerian Hamas TV Station
Foreign Confidential....
Israeli forces have captured the Hitlerian Hamas television station, Al-Aqsa TV.
Instead of its usual fare of kill-the-Jews programming, including shows aimed at indoctrinating children to grow up to become suicide bombers, the station is now broadcasting appeals to Hamas leaders to come out of their rat holes and crawl spaces and surrender to Israel.
Even Islamist-leaning, European cowards and appeasers would be hard-pressed to defend Al-Aqsa TV. Like the terrorist organization it serves, the Hamas hate station is Islamist (clerical fascist/Islamo-Nazi) to the core and committed to the violent destruction of Israel. It regularly praises suicide bombing and holy war. Its videos praise the rocket-launching teams that aim at Israeli civilians and the programs are designed to indoctrinate the young to its brand of radical Islam.
Incitement and Indoctrination
Typical of the incitement the station specializes in is the following extract from an address by Hamas MP and cleric Yunis Al-Astal, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on April 11, 2008.
"Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our Prophet Muhammad. Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam – this capital of theirs will be an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread through Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, and even Eastern Europe."
Also typical is a sermon broadcast on Palestinian Television from Dr. Ahmed Yousuf Abu Halabia, Rector of Advanced Studies at the Islamic University. He said, "The Jews are all liars . . . They are terrorists. Therefore it is necessary to slaughter them and murder them, according to the words of Allah . . . it is forbidden to have mercy in your hearts for the Jews in any place and in any land. Make war on them any place that you find yourself. Any place that you encounter them, kill them. Kill the Jews and those among the Americans that are like them...."
Hamas leaves absolutely no room for peaceful negotiation as confirmed in article 13 of its covenant, which unambiguously states, "Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."
While Hamas' immediate goal is Israel's destruction, this is only a first step towards the ultimate goal of Islamic fundamentalists to impose Islamic rule on all infidels world-wide by means of jihad, a religious war against all infidels. The Islamist jihad is not directed only against Jews, but against all infidels, Jews, Christians, Buddhists and all other non-Muslims alike.Jordan, Qatar Condemn Israel
Foreign Confidential....
Somewhat predictably, moderate Arab nations are attempting to moderate ... Israel.
Xinhua reports that Jordan's king Abdullah II said the kingdom is angry with Israel for the intensified aggression against Gaza Strip, according to the Royal Hashemite Court.
"Jordan is angry about Israeli aggression and expressed its anger by initiating all steps possible and necessary to stop it," the king was quoted in a statement by the royal court, adding that Jordan is closest to Palestine and will do whatever needed to help Palestinians and show solidarity with them.
He warned that Israel's aggression would have negative consequences on the whole region and on efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region on the base of two-state solution, which the world unanimously supported as the only way to achieve stability and peace in the region.
"Aggression will not bring security to Israel, which will not live in bless of security unless Palestinians restore their security and legitimate right to set up their sovereign state on their national soil," said the king.
Mounting Pressure
He is under mounting pressure from Jordanians to sever diplomatic relations with Israel.
Qatar said on Sunday Israel's attack on Gaza amounted to a war crime and renewed calls for an emergency summit of Arab countries.
"Our (Arab) people in Gaza are subject these days to an unjust aggression which does not differentiate between children, women and old people, and between civilians and fighters," Qatar's ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani said.
"A war launched with such tools (modern weapons) at such targets (refugee camps) cannot be anything other than a war crime," he said in comments aired on Al Jazeera television.
Meanwhile, in Morocco thousands of protesters, many of whom were women, chanted "Allah Akbar [God Is Great]. We are all with Gaza," during a demonstration. Joined by some government ministers, they criticized Arab leaders for what they said was a failure to support Hamas in Gaza.
Monday, 5 January 2009
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