Jimmy F'in Carter Sucks

[recxjake]

Reprinted from NewsMax.com

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006 1:38 p.m. EST
Jimmy Carter Has High Hopes for Hamas


Former President Jimmy Carter expressed optimism Friday over Hamas's participation in next week's Palestinian parliamentary elections, saying that while the group may be terrorists, at least they're not corrupt.

Interviewed Friday, Carter said that although Hamas were "so-called terrorists," so far "there have been no complaints of corruption against [their] elected officials."

In quotes reported by the Jerusalem Post, Carter did concede that "there is an element within Hamas who deny Israel's right to exist."

Citing his own negotiations with Palestinian Liberation Organization chief Yassir Arafat, however, Carter said sometimes you have to learn to work with terrorists. At the time of Carter's Camp David Accords, the PLO was still outlawed as a terrorist organization.

The former president also invoked the example of former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin's membership in the Irgun, which Carter reminded "was also characterized as a terrorist organization."

[Cochise]

Hamas are 'so-called' terrorists? Does he think they are simply misunderstood or something? :spock:

[banyon]

Here's a weird, related news story (from the Guardian, kind of the anti-Newsmax).
New-look Hamas spends £100k on an image makeover

Spin doctor admits he has 'work cut out' with group known for suicide attacks

Chris McGreal in Ramallah
Friday January 20, 2006
The Guardian

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2006/01/19/hamas372ready.jpg

Hamas supporters take part in a rally to support the movement's female candidates for the Palestinian parliamentary election. Photograph: Abbas Momani/AFP


Hamas is paying a spin doctor $180,000 (£100,000) to persuade Europeans and Americans that it is not a group of religious fanatics who relish suicide bombings and hate Jews.
The organisation, also known as the Islamic Resistance Movement, has hired a media consultant, Nashat Aqtash, to improve its image at home and abroad because it expects to emerge from next week's Palestinian general election as a major political force, and wants recognition and acceptance by the US and EU.

"Hamas has an image problem. The Israelis were able to create a very bad image of the Palestinians in general and particularly Muslims and Hamas. My contract is to project the right image," said Mr Aqtash, who also teaches media at Birzeit University in Ramallah.
"We don't need the international community to accept Hamas ideology, we need it to accept the facts on the ground. We are not killing people because we love to kill. People view Hamas as loving sending people to die. We don't love death, we like life."

Mr Aqtash, who describes himself as opposed to violence and "believing in the Gandhi route", has advised Hamas leaders to change their image by explaining that they do not hate Israelis because they are Jews. And he is attempting to persuade influential foreigners that Hamas is essentially a peaceful organisation that was forced to fight, but is now committed to pressing its cause through politics, not violence.

"Hamas does not believe in terrorism or killing civilians. But Ariel Sharon pressed buttons to make people angry. Sometimes we are innocent enough to react in a way that the Israelis use the reaction against us," he said.

Next week Mr Aqtash says he will address the former US president Jimmy Carter and former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt, and other prominent foreigners monitoring the election. But he admits he and his small team working from an office in Ramallah have their work cut out. Hamas is responsible for scores of suicide bombings, killing and maiming hundreds of civilians (many of them children), although not for yesterday's attack in Tel Aviv.

Hamas's founding charter calls for the destruction of Israel and it wants to impose an Islamic state on all Palestinian territory.

Mr Aqtash, who says he is not a member of Hamas and does not know where it got the money to pay him but frequently refers to the group as "we", says he has told the leadership it has to change its rhetoric. He says Hamas has not helped itself by celebrating suicide bombings; he advises against celebration. And he has told Hamas leaders not to talk about destroying Israel.

"Abdel Aziz Rantisi [the former Hamas leader killed by Israel two years ago] was on television saying things that foreigners cannot accept, like we will remove Israel from the map. He should have talked about Palestinian suffering. He should have said we need this occupation ended. Foreigners will accept this," he said.

Mr Aqtash has also advised Hamas leaders to emphasise that they are not anti-semitic or against Israelis because they are Jews. Hamas has taken the message on board. In an interview earlier this week, Muhammad Abu Tir, who is second on the Hamas election list, twice (and unprompted) offered an assurance that he is not a Jew hater.

"Loving others is part of our religion. We are not against Jews as Jews, we are against oppression," he said.

Mr Aqtash also told Mr Abu Tir to rid himself of a red beard, coloured by henna, because it makes people laugh.

The PR man wriggles away from questions about whether Hamas has more than an image problem when it sends bombers on buses and into cafes.

"I'm personally against killing. All civilians should not be killed. Killing Israeli civilians is not accepted by the international community. They think it is a terrorist act," he said.

"But Sharon was responsible for killing civilians too. During this intifada Hamas killed a thousand Israelis, some of them civilians, some of them soldiers. But the Israelis killed 4,000 Palestinians. It's a war. The Israelis use F16s; Hamas uses people. Anyway, Hamas hasn't sent a suicide bomber in a year."

Hamas is also attempting to soften its image at home with the launch of a television station in Gaza that includes a children's show presented by "Uncle Hazim" and men in furry animal suits. The station, named Al Aqsa Television after Islam's third holiest site, says it intends to put across the group's message "but without getting into the tanks, the guns, the killing and the blood". It will instead focus on religious readings, discussion programmes and a talent show.

Mr Aqtash, however, is not entirely confident in his powers of persuasion.

"How did I do?" he asked as the interview ended. "Did I make you think differently about Hamas

Like I said, weird. Hope that PR guy's getting paid an a**load to weather the :bang:http://www.ncaabbs.com/forums/memphis/phpbb/images/smiles/07-microwave.gif

[tiptap]

At the very earliest stages of Israel building, there were jews who set off explosives and could have been considered terrorists (against the British or Palentinians). One of those fellows was Begin. But when there came a true political forum for expression they quickly moved to forgo acts of violence and looked to act within the political sphere.

Even the devil doesn't want chaos OVER A LARGE part of time. He wants his chance to rule without terror as well.

Hamas has a chance to do so too. The true radical leadership resides in Syria. The people of Palestine have a different agenda.

I am not trying to root for Hamas, I do want to give them a chance to be something different.

[Adept Havelock]

At the very earliest stages of Israel building, there were jews who set off explosives and could have been considered terrorists (against the British or Palentinians). One of those fellows was Begin. But when there came a true political forum for expression they quickly moved to forgo acts of violence and looked to act within the political sphere.

Even the devil doesn't want chaos OVER A LARGE part of time. He wants his chance to rule without terror as well.

Hamas has a chance to do so too. The true radical leadership resides in Syria. The people of Palestine have a different agenda.

I am not trying to root for Hamas, I do want to give them a chance to be something different.

Yes, it's interesting who was involved in the Haganah underground before the establishment of statehood. They used classic terrorist tactics against the UK at the time.

Anybody remember sweet little Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the "good sex" lady? She was a sniper in the Hanganah underground.

http://www.grandtimes.com/private.html

[Nightwish]

At the very earliest stages of Israel building, there were jews who set off explosives and could have been considered terrorists (against the British or Palentinians). One of those fellows was Begin. But when there came a true political forum for expression they quickly moved to forgo acts of violence and looked to act within the political sphere.

Even the devil doesn't want chaos OVER A LARGE part of time. He wants his chance to rule without terror as well.

Hamas has a chance to do so too. The true radical leadership resides in Syria. The people of Palestine have a different agenda.

I am not trying to root for Hamas, I do want to give them a chance to be something different.
I agree. I see them as potentially being the same sort of group as the IRA, radical and violent in their beginnings, but able to trade their guns for negotiation when the opportunity finally availed itself. Since Sinn Fein was permitted to have a voice in parliament, Northern Ireland has been considerably more stable (yes, there are still splinter groups making trouble from time to time and calling themselves "the IRA," but they aren't the IRA, and the region is a lot more stable in spite of them). Hopefully, Hamas will follow suit. Carter is right, there are some terrorists that can be negotiated with. The responsibility of government is to determine which ones those are, and how much we should be willing to give without being seen as capitulating. The hard-line "we will never negotiate with terrorists" stance is foolish and idealistic, and is not a strength, it's a weakness, and it doesn't show us as steadfast, it simply shows us as arrogant.