Militant Islam Monitor > Satire > AP news calls Hamas an 'anti Israel' group - and blames Bush for their terrorism

AP news calls Hamas an 'anti Israel' group - and blames Bush for their terrorism

October 20, 2005

MIM: According to AP writer Ibrahim Barzak the terrorists of Hamas are just a harmless 'anti Israel group' which is being forced to kill Jews because of President Bush made that them do it.

For more see "They're terrorists not activists"

http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/323

Hamas: Bush promotes Palestinian conflict

By IBRAHIM BARZAK
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER


	Relatives of Palestinian prisoners that are being held in Israeli jails hold pictures during a protest in front of the Red Cross in Gaza City, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005. Hundreds of Palestinians demanded the release of their relatives jailed in Israeli prisons hours before Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was to meet with U.S. President George W. Bush. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- The anti-Israel group Hamas charged Thursday that President Bush is trying to set Palestinians against each other with his call to move against militant groups in a White House meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Bush praised Abbas for making progress toward an orderly Palestinian state, but he warned, "The way forward is confronting the threat armed gangs present to creation of a democratic Palestine."

Israelis noted that Bush did not call publicly for Hamas to be excluded from Palestinian parliamentary elections, set for January, but Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri was furious with the U.S. leader's call for a crackdown on militants.

"We consider this as serious American interference in our internal affairs aimed to create an internal conflict," he said.

Hamas does not recognize a Jewish state in the Middle East and has claimed responsibility for dozens of suicide bomb attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis during the last five years of conflict.

Abbas has been reluctant to force a confrontation with the militants, preferring to negotiate an end to attacks on Israelis and draw Hamas and other extremist groups into the political process.

At a joint news conference with Bush outside the White House, Abbas noted that all Palestinian factions could take part in the January election.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Israel's Channel 2 TV that once Hamas takes a political role in elections and the parliament, it amounts to the first step toward giving up its weapons.

"The Palestinian election law is clear ... no one can use guns and no one can incite verbally and no one can use mosques," Erekat said, "No one can get their political goals through the means of force. So the election law provides that those persons and those parties and those factions who run for elections must understand that only through peaceful means can they make changes."

Abu Zuhri also rejected Bush's intention to appoint a new security envoy to replace Gen. William Ward, who has been advising Abbas about restoring order, curbing lawlessness and reducing violence.

"We are waiting for the American administration to send an envoy to dismantle the (Israeli) occupation and the occupation network working against our people," he said.

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