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DUBYA DUBYA III

We can all see what they do — SFA. That’s what they think of we, the people.

We, the people should all be out in the streets — for starters.

Bush grants Israel one more week “to inflict maximum damage on Hizbullah.” Leveling the country would ensure maximum damage on Hizbullah…and all the Lebanese caught in between. Where have I heard this before…? Oh, yes:

Television interview, “60 Minutes”, May 12, 1996:

Lesley Stahl, speaking of US sanctions against Iraq:
“We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And — and you know, is the price worth it?”

Madeleine Albright: “I think this is a very hard choice, but the price — we think the price is worth it.”

Someone please fix Madeleine up with Bolton?

I have one problem though — Hezbullah is Shia and Hamas is Sunni I believe. Doesn’t their coordianation agaginst Israel speak of cooperation between the two groups and work against the Sunn-Shia reallignment you propose?

Excellent question and a good answer would be very complex. So I’m gonna use a very broad brush and sorry for the gross simplification.

But basically, you need to know that Hamas is not monolithic. There’s a competition for power between the local Hamas and the exiles, in particular those in Syria.

The locals are on the ground and tend to be the most pragmatic of the bunch. They are engaged in the political process, run the social welfare, clinics, schools,TV station, etc. It is them who won the last election. The money is mostly coming from the Gulf. The top leader of Hamas was the very local and late Sheikh Yassin, until he was killed by the IDF in early 2004.

The exiles have a more remote and ideological bent. Well, they don’t do the fighting and they rarely do the dying so realities on the ground are not so important. Google for Khaled Meshaal, the current Hamas leader. He has not lived in Palestine since he was a kid, in the 60s…

And a lot of the money is coming from … Iran.

In the middle, you have the military branch of Hamas, local (obviously) but actually fairly distinct from the local political leadership and mostly influenced by Meshaal. So guess who influences Hamas’ military activities against Israel ?

Does this cast a light on your question ?

117 : Billmon, please ! Hamas is not Salafi. It’s part of Al Ikhwan, the Muslim Brotherhood. Those two movements are harsh competitors, if not outright ennemies.

That pernicious liberal media strikes again.

Why break a perfect record? The US left its own citizens to drown in New Orleans and sent them to get IED’d in Iraq. The safety and welfare of US citizens is not a priority.