Soccer Dad

The good name of hamas

I came across this article in which Danny Rubinstein recounts all the slanders against Hamas that have been circulating recently ...

Is there a danger that Hamas and al-Qaida could be linked? Warnings to such an effect could be heard last week, after the release of an Osama bin Laden tape expressing support for Hamas, which, he said, was defending itself against the "Zionist-Crusader offensive." Even C. David Welch, the U.S. assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, discussed such a danger. Hamas is very angry at these reports, and views them as attempts to muddy the organization's name, as part of the repeated efforts to topple the democratically elected government of Ismail Haniyeh.

...
Hamas is complaining that the campaign against the organization includes the spreading of lies, citing the report Jordan released about capturing a Hamas cell that had smuggled weapons and explosives. Citing the capture of the cell, the Jordanian government canceled a visit to Amman by Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas.

I find it touching that Hamas is so concerned about its image. After a year (at least) where Hamas has been portrayed as a bunch of good government policy wonks, they seem bothered that they're now being linked with Al Qaeda.

But Hamas denies this

Hamas officials say this is also why the rumors of the ties with al-Qaida have been going around. Hamas completely denies these rumors, saying that Hamas' goal is national - a struggle against Israel - while al-Qaida has all-embracing religious goals.

Those noble Hamas-niks, they only wish to kill innocent Jewish men, women and children, they are not so extreme as to wish to attack all Western targets. Of course Rubinstein ends off with an ominous warning

But if Hamas is pushed into a corner and the distress and anarchy in the West Bank and Gaza intensify, a comfortable backdrop for al-Qaida activity in Palestine could develop - and then, the assertion that Hamas is tied to al-Qaida will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The idea that two Islamist terror groups with different overall goals couldn't find common ground except under duress is laughable given that there already are known ties between Hezbollah and Hamas.

Sticking up for the good name of Hamas must be a difficult job. It used to be that Hamas were just a bunch of anti-corruption politicians with quaint views on Israel. Then they saw nothing wrong with a terror attack two weeks ago. So now the defense has changed. Hamas is good, because it's no al-Qaida.

Posted by SoccerDad at May 3, 2006 6:41 AM