Palestinian Officials Blast Hamas

Terrorist groups will almost never agree to a peace process (possible exception is IRA in Ireland) because it would end their financial interests and power. With peace, the money would dry up and they would have to get jobs.

-----BumbleBeeBoogie

Palestinian Officials Blast Hamas
Saturday June 7, 2003 3:19 PM
By RAVI NESSMAN - Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM (AP) - Frustrated Palestinian officials harshly criticized Hamas on Saturday, saying the Islamic militant group's abandonment of talks aimed at ending attacks against Israelis could torpedo a new peace plan just as it was getting off the ground.

The Palestinian foreign minister chided Hamas, saying it should ``act responsibly.''

Hamas officials said Friday they were cutting off their truce negotiations with Palestinian officials in anger over Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' concessions at a Mideast summit Wednesday in Jordan. At the meeting with President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Abbas called for an end to the ``armed intefadeh'' - or uprising.

A Hamas refusal to negotiate an end to attacks on Israelis could force Abbas to either crack down on the group and risk a civil war, or allow it to continue bombing and shooting attacks that would derail U.S.-backed peace efforts.

Hamas officials planned to meet Saturday night with officials from Islamic Jihad, a smaller militant group, to ask it to end its cease-fire talks as well. Islamic Jihad officials said they had not decided whether to leave the talks, but said they would never take up arms against Abbas.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath on Saturday accused Hamas of pulling out of talks before the Palestinian officials could meet with them to explain what happened in closed-door meetings at the summit.

``They listened to the speeches on television and declared their decision to stop the dialogue and stop listening,'' Shaath said in an interview with Future TV, based in Lebanon.

Their actions could derail the U.S. backed ``road map'' to Mideast Peace, he said.

``We either reach a voluntary cease-fire ... or there will be no deal with Israel or road map,'' Shaath said. ``Our friends in Hamas and Jihad should acknowledge this and act responsibly.''

Palestinian officials say the Hamas walkout Friday may not be final and there's still a chance for a truce. Hamas, known for its pragmatism, would not risk a confrontation with security forces and would quickly resume talks, they said.

Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Amr urged the militant group to return to the negotiations and give Abbas a chance to defend his actions at the summit.

``The only way to resolve the issue ... is through dialogue and whoever leaves the negotiating table is the loser,'' he said.

The Palestinian Parliament plans to hold a special session soon to hear a report from Abbas on the latest developments, Amr said.

As part of the U.S.-backed ``road map'' to Palestinian statehood, the Palestinians have to disarm and dismantle militant groups that have killed hundreds of Israelis in shootings and bombings in 32 months of fighting. Abbas has been trying to negotiate with the militias rather than use force.

On Friday, thousands of Hamas supporters, some masked and waving green Hamas flags, held a series of protest rallies throughout Gaza.

In the largest, more than 4,000 Hamas supporters demonstrated against the summit, some chanting ``Abu Mazen, the homeland is not for sale.'' Hundreds of other Hamas activists protested in Lebanon.

Officials in Washington said they were not surprised that Hamas, which is vehemently opposed to peace with Israel, broke off the talks.

``All parties agreed - and said they agreed - that terrorism has to stop and that all parties have an obligation to fight terror,'' said Michael Anton, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council. ``Those who pursue terror have made it clear they want to prevent peace.''

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the Bush administration was examining means to cut off assistance, including arms and financing, to any terror group.

``All I can tell you at this point is we're committed, Arab leaders are committed, others are committed to helping the Palestinians establish a security service than can deal with the violent groups, can prevent them from carrying out violence, can prevent them from acquiring arms and financing,'' he said.

Other efforts to clear the streets of gunmen continued, with Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan offering to buy illegal weapons carried by members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a militia linked to Abbas' Fatah movement, according to several Palestinian officials and militia members. The buyback was to start in the coming days, they said.

Dahlan denied such a program existed.

``This is absolutely untrue,'' he said.