Meshal: Summit is U.S. ruse meant to distract from war vs. Iran
By The Associated Press Tags: Hamas Annapolis conference Khaled MeshalDAMASCUS - The leader of Hamas on Monday dismissed a U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference planned for later this year, saying it was meant to distract the region as Washington prepared for an attack against Iran. He also warned Palestinian leaders against making concessions to Israel during the meeting.
"Strategically, it (the U.S.) is setting the stage and covering up for the upcoming American war in the region," Khaled Meshal told a press conference at a forum of Palestinian intellectuals in Damascus, where the political chief of the militant Palestinian faction has his headquarters.
"There are preparations for an aggression against Iran, and could include other parties - Syria, Lebanon and Hezbollah. Therefore, America is distracting us with a false game and is preparing itself for the real one," he said.
He spoke as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Monday in Ramallah with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Meshal's rival, to prepare the ground for the conference. The meeting is expected to be held later this year in the U.S. to try to restart Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.
At a news conference with Rice, Abbas said he was receiving encouraging signs from Israel that pointed to a real possibility for achieving a peace deal.
Meanwhile, Meshal said he feared voluntary concessions by the Palestinians and the Arabs during the upcoming conference without reciprocal moves by the Israelis.
The Hamas leader warned Arab states to stay away from the conference and advised Abbas against making any concessions.
"No one is authorized to continue with negotiations like he wishes while the Palestinians are divided," he said. "No one is authorized to give up an inch of land, exchange it or give up the right of return."
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Rice has made clear that the US is NOT pursuing a military solution to its percieved challenges from Iran. America's greatest handicap in reaching concord with Iran (as with the people of Iraq) is mistrust due primarily to it's military funding of Israeli apartheid and occupation of it's neighbor's territories. Rice understands this, and has certainly convinced Bush of this, and all the world has known this for years. So no, war with Iran is not likely, and certainly not imminent, as Meshal suggests, for reasons American Christian well stated. These same reasons are the American priority at Annapolis. The Americans are finally "getting it". Now, will they have the courage to drive it through the religio-political opposition, the fanatical Christian Zionists and their Jewish Zionist partners in strife and bloodshed for the greater glory of the god of this world, Lucifer the fallen archangel.
Is Hamas in trouble in Gaza? May be loosing local support? You can choose to construct or to destruct in life. So far, what have you achieved? Temporary control of Gaza did not achieve anything, but rather hit you back in the face. Public discontent is very high, and internal scuffles are weekly. Israeli policy of hit and get out, plus tight economical pressure is driving your leadership crazy. Construction or destruction?
Do you not know how to read AND comprehend?
Hamas is a terrorist organisation... and so is the state of Israel as it is run at the moment.... remember last summers shock and awe attack on the Lebanon. But none of this stops Meshal from being spot on. Cheney is going to launch his attack on Iran before the Neocon gang are run out of office in 12 months time. The fact that Iran offered to give up its nuclear programme and cooperate closely with the US on antiterrorism after 9/11 dosn't even count. The White House told the State Dept. not to even reply to the offer. If anybody wants to find out about this, see the interview in Esquire with the State Dept officials who were involved. http://www.esquire.com/features/iranbriefing1107-5
"No way, enough Christian-American blood" - American Christian Those who identify themselves as "Christian Americans" and consider anyone who isn't a Christian fundamentalist, Un-Americans, differ. They are panting and drooling for the war and are praying it will go nuke, and bring on the second coming.
"Bush the peacemaker. Has a nice ring, does it not?" - Natalie Durston Only if your a science fantasy writer like the guys at the Pentagon that planned the conquest of Iraq.
in Damascus. GO ABBAS!!!!!!
A war with Iran would be disastorous, Americans would be an easy target for Iranian missiles, and troops. The straits would instantly be closed and the Shiite of Iraq would fight, fight, fight. Let Israel deal with Iran, if it so chooses to do so. Enough blood has been spilled, and from everyone I talk to here in the US, enough Christian blood for Muslim and Jewish issues, you guys resolve it, or go ahead and fight and kill yourselves, but leave us out of it. GET IT DONE WITH. We have poured too much money and blood into this region, especially when we have a president that vetos a health care bill for children worth 35 billion over five years because we 'can't afford it' while we are spending that in a couple of weeks securing Iraqis, a people, that quite frankly don't like us, and I don't blame them, we've done everything in the past to screw them.
Unfortunately for Bush, the peace summit will be as great a shambles as the Iraq war has become. He will be known as Bush, the clueless, bumbling, warmonger tool of the ultra right. Of course he is ultra right himself, but since he is so clueless, he can only serve as a tool for those that can think more clearly, if not more sanely.
It is indeed to be hoped that there are plans to disarm Iran, Syria, Hizbola and Hamas comprehensively. And it is to be hoped that such measures would be accompanied by sincere negotiations directed toward a just and sustainable settlement between Israeli and Palestinian states. The two aims are complementary, indeed interdependent. So we must hope and indeed seek to ensure that this miscreant 'Meshal' is correct about the coming action on Iran and its puppets, while incorrect in his characterisation of the Annapolis summit.