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America in the Middle East

US maintains duplicitous stance on Hamas election bid


By Ryan Jones
October 27, 2005

The White House Wednesday reiterated its opposition to armed terrorist organizations participating in the ?Palestinian? democratic process, but again stopped short of demanding a halt to that practice or of recognizing that the ruling Fatah faction falls into that category.

?Today's suicide bombing in Israel shows again that there are terrorist organizations in the Middle East that don't want peace between Israel and the Palestinians,? one journalist noted, requesting re-clarification of President George W. Bush's position regarding Hamas' intention to run in upcoming Palestinian Authority parliamentary elections.

?You can't have organizations involved in politics that are also carrying out attacks, or armed outside of that political process,? White House Spokesman Scott McClellan responded.

But the Bush Administration made clear during PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Washington earlier this month that it had accepted the ?Palestinian? leader's request to deal with Hamas in his own way.

Abbas insists Hamas must be allowed to run if the election is to be truly democratic. The terror group is expected to garner up to 40 percent of the vote, giving it considerable influence over official policy and the ?peace? process.

But notwithstanding Abbas? failure to honor the PA's promises to disarm terror groups and deny them a political voice, McClellan restated Washington's belief that ?Abbas is a leader who has expressed his commitment to peace.?

The spokesman's remarks also demonstrated the Bush Administration's ongoing inability or refusal to recognize that Abbas' own Fatah party falls into the same category it places Hamas.

Fatah's two ?military wings,? the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and the Tanzim, have claimed responsibility for the bulk of terrorist attacks against Israeli Jews over the past five years.

Far from disarming these groups, Abbas is seen as pandering to them.

In December 2004, Abbas made a highly public visit to the Brigades' powerful Jenin warlord a highlight of his election campaign.

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