Hamas looks to Iran to re-arm itself
Nov 25, 2012 14:19:13 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Nov 25, 2012 14:19:13 GMT -5
Politics: Having won this round, Hamas looks to Iran to re-arm itself
Published by: Robert Laurie on Sunday November 25th, 2012
By ROBERT LAURIE - A few hundred rockets legitimized Hamas, now what?
According to The Sunday Times, Israeli spy satellites have spotted suspicious activity in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Reports suggest that Iran has been loading Fajr-5 rockets on to freighters. The cargo is expected to be bound for Gaza, by way of the Red Sea, Sudan, and Egypt. These are the same Iran-made projectiles that Hamas has been firing from Gaza into Jerusalem and Tel Aviv prior to last week’s cease fire.
Tellingly, the shipments were prepared and mobilized while the cease-fire was being implemented. An indication, perhaps, that Hamas intends it to be short lived.
But what was the goal in the first place?
Currently, The United States, Canada, the EU, Israel, and Japan all categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization. However, the minute it started lobbing over a hundred rockets into Israel, what happened? The world - including the United States – lent credibility to the quasi-government by treating it as if it were a legitimate governing body.
Secretary oif State Hillary Clinton ran to Egypt, and together, with added pressure from various other countries, they negotiated a cease-fire. What wasn’t included in the deal is at least as interesting as what was. Yes, there is talk of opening the Israeli blockades against Gaza, and as long as the rockets stop coming into their country, Israel is going to stop firing back. That seems like a terribly small victory for Hamas.
Unless, of course, the goal of all this was to establish themselves as a legitimate government. If that’s what they were after, The United States helped them score a big win.
Whether he likes to think of himself as a President or a new Pharaoh, by positioning Mohammed Morsi as a lynchpin for peace in the region the Obama administration has solidified his power.
“I want to thank President Morsi for his personal leadership to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and end the violence," Clinton said. "This is a critical moment for the region. Egypt's new government is assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a cornerstone of regional stability and peace"
What that means is, at least in part, Morsi and his country will take center stage between Israel and Hamas as the world tries to keep the peace.
There are two problems here.
The first is that we still don’t really have a handle on Egypt’s current direction. In the coming year, it could easily turn into yet another radical Islamic state. This would mean that giving it such a prominent role in the peace-keeping process would be a “cat guarding the milk” situation.
Second, by setting up a system of perpetual negotiations between Israel and Hamas, you’ve given Hamas an incredible amount of power while legitimizing it on the world stage.
If the Sunday Times report is correct, Iran is hastily re-arming Hamas. Given that we’ve just handed them an object lesson in how attacking Israel can strengthen their standing as a world player, how long do we really expect they'll abide by the cease-fire?
The new rule of thumb for terrorist states seems to be: lob a few hundred rockets into Israel, and we’ll treat you like you deserve our respect.
This is a truly deplorable precedent to be setting. Whatever became of our official “we don’t negotiate with terrorists” position?
www.caintv.com/having-won-round-one-hamas-loo
Published by: Robert Laurie on Sunday November 25th, 2012
By ROBERT LAURIE - A few hundred rockets legitimized Hamas, now what?
According to The Sunday Times, Israeli spy satellites have spotted suspicious activity in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Reports suggest that Iran has been loading Fajr-5 rockets on to freighters. The cargo is expected to be bound for Gaza, by way of the Red Sea, Sudan, and Egypt. These are the same Iran-made projectiles that Hamas has been firing from Gaza into Jerusalem and Tel Aviv prior to last week’s cease fire.
Tellingly, the shipments were prepared and mobilized while the cease-fire was being implemented. An indication, perhaps, that Hamas intends it to be short lived.
But what was the goal in the first place?
Currently, The United States, Canada, the EU, Israel, and Japan all categorize Hamas as a terrorist organization. However, the minute it started lobbing over a hundred rockets into Israel, what happened? The world - including the United States – lent credibility to the quasi-government by treating it as if it were a legitimate governing body.
Secretary oif State Hillary Clinton ran to Egypt, and together, with added pressure from various other countries, they negotiated a cease-fire. What wasn’t included in the deal is at least as interesting as what was. Yes, there is talk of opening the Israeli blockades against Gaza, and as long as the rockets stop coming into their country, Israel is going to stop firing back. That seems like a terribly small victory for Hamas.
Unless, of course, the goal of all this was to establish themselves as a legitimate government. If that’s what they were after, The United States helped them score a big win.
Whether he likes to think of himself as a President or a new Pharaoh, by positioning Mohammed Morsi as a lynchpin for peace in the region the Obama administration has solidified his power.
“I want to thank President Morsi for his personal leadership to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and end the violence," Clinton said. "This is a critical moment for the region. Egypt's new government is assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a cornerstone of regional stability and peace"
What that means is, at least in part, Morsi and his country will take center stage between Israel and Hamas as the world tries to keep the peace.
There are two problems here.
The first is that we still don’t really have a handle on Egypt’s current direction. In the coming year, it could easily turn into yet another radical Islamic state. This would mean that giving it such a prominent role in the peace-keeping process would be a “cat guarding the milk” situation.
Second, by setting up a system of perpetual negotiations between Israel and Hamas, you’ve given Hamas an incredible amount of power while legitimizing it on the world stage.
If the Sunday Times report is correct, Iran is hastily re-arming Hamas. Given that we’ve just handed them an object lesson in how attacking Israel can strengthen their standing as a world player, how long do we really expect they'll abide by the cease-fire?
The new rule of thumb for terrorist states seems to be: lob a few hundred rockets into Israel, and we’ll treat you like you deserve our respect.
This is a truly deplorable precedent to be setting. Whatever became of our official “we don’t negotiate with terrorists” position?
www.caintv.com/having-won-round-one-hamas-loo
