Obama camp ’prepared’ to talk to Hamas
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 10, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is getting prepared to bring a halt to George W. Bush’s isolationist policies against Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist group, sources close to the transition team told the Guardian.
"Obama’s potential move to establish contacts with Hamas would result in a decisive break with Bush’s doctrine of ostracizing Hamas," said British daily. The State Department has labeled Hamas a terrorist organization and in 2006 the U.S. Congress passed a law banning U.S. financial aid to the group.
Richard Haass, a diplomat under both Bush presidencies who was named by a number of news organizations this week as Obama's choice for Middle East envoy, supports low-level contact with Hamas on the condition that there is a cease-fire in place and Hamas and Fatah reconcile over the disputed issues. Another prominent figure said that the complete isolation of Hamas would be abandoned under the Obama administration and pointed to a number of options that might avoid the president-elect being seen as giving legitimacy to Hamas.
However, an expert on Middle East affairs who is also close to Obama’s transition team said these moves would be most probably carried out in a clandestine manner. "It is highly unlikely that they will be public about it," the expert said.
Richard Haass, a diplomat under both Bush presidencies who was named by a number of news organizations this week as Obama's choice for Middle East envoy, supports low-level contact with Hamas on the condition that there is a cease-fire in place and Hamas and Fatah reconcile over the disputed issues. Another prominent figure said that the complete isolation of Hamas would be abandoned under the Obama administration and pointed to a number of options that might avoid the president-elect being seen as giving legitimacy to Hamas.
However, an expert on Middle East affairs who is also close to Obama’s transition team said these moves would be most probably carried out in a clandestine manner. "It is highly unlikely that they will be public about it," the expert said.