April 2, 2010, - 1:19 pm

1600 Falesteen-Silwan Ave: Obama Using “Fired” Officials to “Engage” HAMAS

By Debbie Schlussel

Remember all of those openly anti-Israel Obama advisors, whom the President “fired” during the 2008 campaign?  Well, they’ve all resurfaced.  As I noted before, they weren’t really “fired,” so much as they were placed in an “unofficial” capacity to engage HAMAS.    And that poisonous engagement is being ramped up at the direction of the Obama administration.

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It’s all quite scary, but then it’s nothing I and others didn’t warn you about during the election campaign.  Obama was talking to HAMAS then, and he’s stepping it up in his talks with this avowed terrorist group, now.  And don’t forget that HAMAS, several times, vowed to target Americans.  The group is no different than Al-Qaeda, and in fact, frequently works together with Qaeda.

From today’s Wall Street Journal:

Several high-profile former U.S. officials, some with close ties to the Obama administration, met with leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in recent months, raising hope inside the group that its views are being heard at the White House.

Yup, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is now a satellite office of an Islamic terrorist group. 1600 Falesteen-Silwan Ave. Has a nice halal ring to it.

White House officials and participants in the talks emphasize the meetings weren’t sanctioned by Washington. U.S. officials say there has been no change to Washington’s insistence that Hamas take a number of steps before official dialogue can begin.

Uh-huh. Not sanctioned. Sure. PUH-LEEZE. The meetings wouldn’t be happening if they weren’t sanctioned. Indeed, they are. And this is the balloon float, to see what the public reaction is (not that public reaction actually influences what Obama does–as in ObamaCare).

Still, the talks have been interpreted by some officials inside Hamas, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which is run by the Palestinian Fatah party—a rival to Hamas—as a sign Washington may be softening its position toward Hamas. . . .

Such informal “track two” meetings aren’t uncommon between former U.S. officials and Hamas. But the ex-officials involved in recent talks are seen as higher-profile figures in Washington’s diplomatic establishment. They are also seen as enjoying more foreign-policy heft with the administration than U.S. officials in the past.

“This administration is different from the previous administration,” said Hamas’ deputy foreign minister, Ahmed Yussuf, said in an interview. “We believe Hamas’s message is reaching its destination.”

“There were many meetings like this” in the past, Mr. Yussuf said. “But now, we know the people coming to see us are so much more connected to the White House.”

Warned ya two-plus years ago about this, repeatedly.

In a separate move, the U.S. State Department last month gave a rare green light to a senior U.S. diplomat, on sabbatical at a think tank, to publicly debate Osama Hamdan, one of Hamas’s leaders, in a forum in Doha, Qatar.

The recent meetings between Hamas and ex-U.S. officials were held in Zurich, Damascus and other cities, according to current and former Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials familiar with the talks. While the talks weren’t sanctioned by the White House, their contents have been shared with Obama administration officials, say participants and administration officials.

“To refuse to listen—particularly if the visitor is seen as an experienced individual who knows what he/she is talking about—would be negligent in my view,” a senior Obama administration official said in an emailresponse to questions about the meetings.

Yup, Obama worldview: Let’s listen to terrorists. Anything else is “negligent.”

In a meeting last summer in Zurich, Thomas Pickering, a former undersecretary of state and U.S. ambassador to Israel and Jordan, and Rob Malley, a top Mideast adviser to President Bill Clinton, met with Hamas’s foreign minister, Mahmud Zahar, and Mr. Hamdan, the movement’s top official in Lebanon. Recently retired European officials also were present. The meeting, detailed in minutes reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, was confirmed by Messrs. Pickering and Malley.

The meeting focused largely on practical issues, such as scenarios for how Hamas could meet the three Quartet conditions, according to the minutes—which participants said accurately reflected the meeting. Participants also focused on how to establish a mechanism to ease the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip, an Obama priority.

“It was an effort to clarify what Washington’s policy is and understand what Hamas’s views are,” Mr. Malley said.

HUH? They don’t “understand” what HAMAS’ views are? Try reading the group’s charter, numbskull. It’s quite clear what the views are. There’s no “understanding” needed.

Mr. Malley is currently director of the Mideast and North Africa program at the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank. Mr. Pickering is co-chairman of the group’s board, a post previously held by George Mitchell, the Obama administration’s envoy to the Mideast peace talks.

As a special assistant to then-President Clinton on Arab-Israeli affairs, Mr. Malley worked closely with people who are now advisers to Mr. Obama. He attended law school with Mr. Obama and advised him on foreign policy during the campaign. He severed ties with the Obama team after his previous contact with Hamas, during his work with ICG, became a campaign issue.

In a separate move that raised eyebrows in the region, U.S. diplomat Rachel Schneller met Hamas’s Mr. Hamdan in Doha last month for a debate sponsored by the Doha-based al Jazeera television channel. Ms. Schneller is on sabbatical from the State Department at the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based think tank.

Ms. Schneller said she alerted the State Department to the invitation, and Washington approved it. “They gave me permission to go, which I found interesting,” she said. After the debate, she met one-on-one with Mr. Hamdan over tea, Ms. Schneller said.

Ah, tea and crumpets with a mass murderer. How charming. Classy, indeed. When does Charles Manson get an invite? When he converts to Islam, apparently, and blows people up by the dozens in one shot, instead of killing them one by one.

“He was really genuinely interested in how to make a breakthrough in negotiations and how to engage constructively with the United States,” she said.

Sickening. The only thing Hamdan was “really genuinely interested in” is how to say the right lies and further amputate Israel out of existence.

Any other interpretation is that of a fool. And, sadly, our country is run by plenty of the foolish, led by the Clown-in-Chief.




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19 Responses

Deb:

I think the cat is out of the bag. Even many of O’Bama’s Pro-Israel supporters have come to the realization that he’s not Pro-Israel.

There is NO Santa Claus on April 2, 2010 at 1:29 pm

Not surprising. Nor is this: EVERY ISRAELI REQUEST TO PURCHASE MILITARY EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DENIED SINCE OBAMA TOOK OFFICE.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/04/stunner-obama-has-refused-all-israeli-military-requests-since-entering-office-in-2009/

Anti-semite? You bet!

FrenchKiss on April 2, 2010 at 1:49 pm

Just found out that obummer envoys to the middle east(Mitchel) have encouraged the new infada. These craven traitors to our country are openly encouraging our enemies to attack Israel..God help us all!

Drakken on April 2, 2010 at 2:09 pm

This is the State Department’s version of the “revolving door”. Retire, then go to work lobbying for Arab interests. Go on sabbatical, but engage terrorist proxies in your capacity as CFR scholar or ICG associate. Don’t get formal permission from the White House or State Department so they can retain deniability, but keep them apprised of all your discussions.

None of us should be surprised at this. Obama made clear his policy would be to “engage” our enemies. (And, yes, Bush did it too, just not as blatantly; shame on him too.)

Raymond in DC on April 2, 2010 at 2:13 pm

…his name is hussein…get a clue people.

Catfur on April 2, 2010 at 2:29 pm

There’s no doubt that Obama wants to set up a Palestinian state soon just like he wanted and got health care and he doesn’t care what price he has to pay to get his “legacy.” We can’t say we weren’t warned.

NormanF on April 2, 2010 at 3:23 pm

This is not exactly the poit Debbie is making, but this
sounds like Andrew Young, part 2 (I am old enough to
remember that).

I can’t wait for Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louis
Farrakhan and their ilk to turn this into a racial issue
and say the most vile things about Jews. If anyone
remembers what happened after Andrew Young pulled his
stunt, you remember that Jesse Jackson said things that
made his later “joke” about “Hymetown” seem like a
compliment.

I_AM_ME on April 2, 2010 at 3:44 pm

I recall the HAMAS Gaza campaign efforts to get Obama elected. They would phone up American voters and campaign for Obama. My, I wonder why that was? (There’s an al-Jazeera youtube video of the Gaza-strip telephone-banks — showing how Gaza telephones/computers were manned by HAMAS operatives eagerly campaigning on behalf of Obama to become Prez by phoning up US voters.)

J.S. on April 2, 2010 at 3:48 pm

Obama has sold Israel & America to Palestine it’s just a matter of time

Linda Bellamy on April 2, 2010 at 3:54 pm

“And, sadly, our country is run by plenty of the foolish, led by the Clown-in-Chief.”

Calling this Kenyan/boy/Chicago gangster/puppet a clown is an insult to clowns. He is 0.

David on April 2, 2010 at 4:07 pm

Besides, a more apt description of Obama should be the Sociopath-in-Chief.

ConcernedPatriot on April 2, 2010 at 5:38 pm

in the obambi administration your never fired for being anti-American you just get moved around to another seat on the bus, till he has to throw you under it for his own political gain.

ender on April 2, 2010 at 10:39 pm

The ObamaNation happened because of political correctness gone wild. PC is the WMD of the DemocRATs. Remember the names Bush was called and how the “opposition” vilified him with the full force of the mainstream media behind them? Now anyone who questions the liberal fascist agenda and tactics of the Liar in Chief is either a racist or a threat to national security. This is what happens when the cancer of PC become an epidemic. Voters elected to the highest office in the land, a Marxist who ridicules the U.S. Constitution and seeks to destroy the nation.

BonzerWolf on April 3, 2010 at 12:42 am

When one considers in the aggregate all the things you have written about in the last few years, it is obvious that the US elite has abandoned the civilized and pro-Western traditions upon which this country was founded. The rhetorical trappings are preserved, but it is clear that if this elite were founding a country now, it would probably look like a socialist country which gives aid and comfort to key white collar criminals, supports the worst governments and movements in the world, and, if possible, would crush the current US citizens the way that dictatorships in communist countries used to do.

All these things are not accidents; connecting the dots it is clear that this is what the elite wants. And the media does not object and the elected politicians, to the extent they object at all, submerge their objections to retain prestige.

We support the wrong governments and movements around the world, kowtow to terrorists domestically, pander to illegals; and the elites are using PC as a useful aid.

Little Al on April 3, 2010 at 7:38 am

Do any of you remember all the millions that Barry Soetoro was raising and the State Run Media was so impressed that all this money was being raised in small donations on the Internet?

Well now you can connect the dots. The Webmaster for Barry removed the filter that prohibited any foreign donations into his campaign. Some Patriots looked at logs of the donations coming in to the Barry Soetoro website and the vast majority had Middle East IP Addresses.

Quid pro quo

You know Hamas and Al-Qaeda sympathizers even though it is illegal to accept foreign campaign contributions.

Now we know that Barry intends to pay them off big time.

ScottyDog on April 3, 2010 at 2:00 pm

I think that previous US presidents (Bill C, GH &GW Bush) pushed for a “peace agreement” of some sort as the holy grail to their legacy. With Obama, it’s more than a holy grail matter; he has a vision to carve out a Muslim state at the expense of Israel and he’s gonna do it, come hell or high water.

Not Ovenready on April 3, 2010 at 10:17 pm

And its pretty obvious that what’s happening here is the same thing that happened in Spain and other countries that appeased the Muslims after attacks.

It is just happening in slow motion here — but does anybody doubt that the US gives in to Muslims much more after 9/11 than we would have had 9/11 not taken place?

Of course we appeased Muslims before 9/11 and would have made overtures to Hamas anyway, but it is astounding that after Muslim attacks on us which took thousands of lives, this is what it’s come to.

Little Al on April 3, 2010 at 11:10 pm

I think it’s good to have the terrorists grouped together in one area like Palestine. When they screw with the USA there’s always a threat we will blow up a Hamas city. Right now the terrorists are all over and we have no government or counrty to retaliate against. The Taliban is becoming accepted again in Afghanistan so do we not deal with the Taliban either? Yemen hates us. Syria hates us. Iran hates us, yet we still have to deal with these jerks. Let them have their Palestinian state. Fill it up with all their hatemongers & warlords and get our CIA in the government, the media, and every corner of their state. Maybe even a CIA warlord who talks tough but has USA interests in mind. Let the world of public opinion decide who the bad guys are. The Capitalist USA or the female mutilating, homicide bombing, human rights abusing Hamas’s Palestinian state. The people who run our government are nameless. Isnt it interesting that the terrorists we catch like the shoe bomber and the underwear bomber have defective equipment? Maybe our government is doing things subversively to thwart these idiots? How interesting is it that Iran gets bomb making materials from small USA companies? These parts are routed through Syria & Yemen. Some nuke detonators have double uses like the machine that breaks up kidney stones. We seem to have the world on lock down. They let through what they want us to see. Our government knows EVERYTHING!

Lefty on April 4, 2010 at 12:56 pm

It is obvious that Obambi is an Islamist. It is the union of the Red with the Green. He is an Islamist as well as a Far Lefty. Ironic how the Far Left really does not care about human rights, especially women’s rights. Islamists are infamous for their hatred of women, gays, Jews, Christians and religious minorities in their midst. The Far Left has teamed up with the Islamists because both groups hate America and Israel. We are in grave danger. There is little difference between a Rev. Wright, Obama’s mentor, and an Islamist cleric.

AliceL. on April 4, 2010 at 1:22 pm

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