February 2007 - Remember this? Well she did it again.
June 8th 2007 - In a interview with the editorial board of the Daily News, US Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleeza Rice refers to a time that hamas was supposedly a "resistance" movement...does anyone realize the implication of the idea of submitting to the legitimacy that the terrorist group at one time was resisting something? The US State Department clearly classifies Hamas to be the trror organization that it is, yet the Secretary now has an established pattern as referring to them as a "resistance" group. GOP Jews were all apologetic last time. How about now? How about playing the partisan role reversal game? Less than 5 months ago, Condi called Hamas a resistance movement during a European Television interview. While some called on her to apologize, others waved it off as no big deal. Now what?
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2007/06/86255.htm
FLASHBACKS (Jan/Feb 2007)
The Old Petition | Signatures |
SECRETARY RICE: Mort, I fully accept that there are downsides to elections in immature political systems where democratic institutions haven't quite taken hold yet. The problem is I can't figure any other way to get the democratic institutions. I think that the -- my father used to say if you're on the horns of a dilemma, choose one; don't try to hang on both simultaneously.
And here is the problem, if you don't begin the politics of contestation because you're afraid of who might contest, then you're never going to get there. So yes, there are some downsides to the fact that over this long period of time, probably the most organized forces have been radical forces, not moderate forces. But if you say, "Well, we're going to wait until moderate forces organize so that they can contest the politics," you will -- you'll never get moderate forces because authoritarian regimes, authoritarian politics will continue to squeeze out the development of moderates. So I fully admit you may go through some rather uncomfortable transition, but I could make an argument to you about what happened in the territories, for instance; that it has been very interesting to see Hamas trying to come to terms with no longer being, really a resistance movement, but having to deal with politics.
A moderate Palestinian friend of mine said, "You know, they used to be the great resistance, running the streets with their faces covered and going after Israel. And now, they look like a bunch of politicians who also can't make the sewer system work." And they're clearly uncomfortable in that framework, which is part of why I think you see the military wing of Hamas trying to make this again about Israel and the Palestinians, not about the contestation of politics inside the Palestinian territories. So I admit it's uncomfortable, but I think it's also necessary.
FLASHBACKS (Jan/Feb 2007)
The Old Petition | Signatures |
- WND: Rice ripped for avoiding terrorist label on Hamas
- ZOA Calls For Retraction & Apology
- Malcolm Hoenlein Responds (Audio Link, scroll to 18:20)
- Ynet
- Christian News Condi: Hamas a "Resistance Movement?"
- Jerusalem Post on Gaffe
- The Forward
- The Jewish Press
- Washington Post
- Old Dry Bones:
POSTED 6/26/07 1:20pm
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