Abbas Contradicts UN on Terrorism
- 02.28.2008 - 12:17 PMOne day after the UN released a report intended to cast Palestinian terrorism as an “inevitable” and righteous response to Israeli aggression distinct from the morally and strategically unjustifiable terrorism orchestrated by al Qaeda, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has charged that al Qaeda is in fact working with the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.
In yesterday’s UN report, John Dugard states:
[C]ommon sense . . . dictates that a distinction must be drawn between acts of mindless terror, such as acts committed by al-Qaida, and acts committed in the course of a war of national liberation against colonialism, apartheid or military occupation.
Today, Mahmoud Abbas says:
Al-Qaeda is present in Gaza and I’m convinced that they [Hamas] are their allies. . .I can say without doubt that al-Qaeda is present in the Palestinian territories and that this presence, especially in Gaza, is facilitated by Hamas.
Israeli authorities have long accused Hamas of working with al Qaeda, but Abbas’ announcement marks the first time that a Palestinian statesman has agreed with the Israeli charges.
With Dugard’s report exposed as terrorist-coddling, anti-Israel fiction, there’s no telling how far he’ll go at the UN.
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February 28th, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Is Mark Malloch Brown’s old job still open? Dugard would be perfect.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Abbas a “Palestinian statesman”? Hardly. Just today in Jordan Abbas boasted of his terrorist past and threatened a return to violence if the PA doesn’t get what it wants through the stong-arm diplomatic efforts of Condoleeza Rice and the EU.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:08 PM
It’s interesting to compare this with what Abu Mazen told an
interviewer from a Jordanian newspaper today:
“At this present juncture, I am opposed to armed struggle because we
cannot succeed in it, but maybe in the future things will be
different,” he said.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1204127196532&pagename=JPost%2FJPArtic\
le%2FShowFull
So he’s telling the West that Hamas is in cahoots with al Qaeda while
he’s telling other Arabs that he himself is refraining from terrorism
only for tactical reasons. In the mean time, the UN guy thinks Hamas
is OK because they’re not like al Qaeda, and our own government think
Abu Mazen is our great hope for peace. Gevalt!
February 28th, 2008 at 1:33 PM
Considering that AQ has always propounded its acts of terror as acts committed in the course of a war against colonialism and military occupation (the charge of “apartheid” is generally reserved for Israel), Dugard’s silliness here approaches the epic.
We can call anything an act of war against X, Y, or Z. We can call it strategy, tactics, or “Petunia.” But what intentionally blowing up civilians at bus stops IS, is still terrorism.
Incidentally, let us not accept at face value anything emanating from Mr. Abbas. I have no doubt that AQ is in league with Hamas. But I doubt very much that Abbas is making that point from a position of opposing the objectives of AQ — from being a friend of Israel — or from being a friend of the West. Rather, the best way for Abbas to cultivate the West, and strengthen his party against its opposition, is to implicate AQ in ratting out Hamas. The Palestinian tradition is one of exploiting credulous Western sentiment to the hilt, and it has not changed.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:44 PM
The good Mr. Dugard will no doubt go far. Our tax dollars again at work.
February 28th, 2008 at 4:11 PM
There is no surprise in Abbas’ comments. It’s simply the continuation of Arafat’s strategy that he too was very explicit about in his comments to arab audiences. It’s only the delusional west, now including US and Israel, that refuses to accept the reality that stares them in face.
It’s clear that watching America in its descent, Europe partially islamized and anti-semitic, and an incompetent Israeli elite who has neither the guts nor the creativity to defend its population against war-like bombardments, Abbas is now recognizing the value of Arafat’s and his long-term strategy. With his coffers full of jiziyah from the infidels and the effectiveness of Hizballah’s and Hamas’ rockets to show Israel without response, no wonder he feels safe to implicitly threaten the same right through peace negotiations. He knows it is safe.
fp
http://fallofknowledgeandreason.blogspot.com/
February 28th, 2008 at 10:32 PM
Abbas is now a “statesman?” O Commentary, you a now a class-B national review and little more.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:46 AM
Ritt Momney
As opposed to what - something liberal like Mother Jones? Thats really A-grade material.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:15 PM
YbA,
So if Abbas is not a stateman he can only be a liberal?
Have you heard of logic?
March 1st, 2008 at 5:02 AM
oao
Ritt Momney posted on another thread that he is a “frum Sephardi liberal”. He then comes here and trashes Commentary so I queried one of the great liberal publications…I’ll let your trolling pass on this one.