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America in the Middle East

US: 'We don't fund terrorist organizations'

So Hamas reminds West it can look elsewhere for financial aid


By Ryan Jones
January 29, 2006

The Bush Administration stated Friday that it will not financially back Hamas and its policies just because the terror group ended up being the overwhelming choice of the Palestinian Arab electorate in last week's Palestinian Legislative Council election.

?To be very clear, we do not provide money to terrorist organizations,? State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

US President George W. Bush said in an interview on CBS News that millions of dollars worth of aid packages to the ?Palestinians? would be halted if Hamas fails to ?get rid of that arm of their party which is armed and violent? and ?to get rid of that part of their platform that says they want to destroy Israel.?

The administration has threatened to go even further by examining and possibly hindering United Nations aid to the Palestinian Authority.

But a senior Hamas leader told WorldNetDaily the best his group is prepared to offer is a long-term temporary ?peace? on the road to Israel's ultimate demise.

?We will be ready for a long interim agreement based on a period of cease-fire that can go to 10 or even 15 years like it was done by the Prophet Muhammad with the enemies of the Muslims,? the official told WND's Aaron Klein.

He stressed, however, that when Hamas speaks ?about a long cease-fire and a temporary agreement, it means that we do not recognize the right of the state of the occupation on our lands, but we will accept its existence temporarily.?

?We will never give up our right for the whole of Palestine,? the official clarified.

He said this new ?peace? initiative, the likes of which Israel fears may be accepted by the West as new ?moderation? on the part of Hamas, is based on a pragmatic understanding that military victory over Israel is just not possible at this time.

?We should be realistic to admit that the mission for the liberation of Palestine will pass on to the coming generations.?

In the end, he is confident Hamas and all Israel's Islamic foes will be ?victorious.?

Meanwhile, leading Hamas PLC candidate Ismail Haniyah defiantly stated at the weekend that his group and the government it will soon form are largely unconcerned about losing US aid.

?Hamas has many alternatives (for aid), there is much good within our people and we have the Arab world and we also have all those who love the oppressed peoples in the world and who stand beside us,? Haniyah told Reuters.

Hamas politician Yehya Musa said the group may soon send a delegation to Arab, Islamic and some European countries to explain its position and seek the funding necessary to end the PA's dependence on Western financial aid.

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