Dumb - and continuing to be so

The world may not like Hamas - but they exist. Ignoring them, as the latest pronouncement from the US and EU declares will happen, as reported in the IHT, seems plain dumb. But that isn't anything new.

"The United States and the European Union on Thursday held firm to their refusal to deal with the Palestinian movement Hamas as former Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain prepared to start his new job as Middle East peace envoy."

So, now what? Just be an ostrich and continue to refuse to even meet with an elected government? Former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, seems on the money when he is reported in the same IHT piece thus:

"But in Washington, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said the quartet should find some way to talk to Hamas.

"I don't think you can just cast them into outer darkness and try to find a solution to the problems of the region without taking to account the standing that Hamas has in the Palestinian community," Powell said in a radio interview.

He said Hamas, which controls Gaza, was not going away and enjoyed considerable Palestinian support.

"They won an election that we insisted upon having," Powell said, adding that Hamas needed to be engaged, "as unpleasant a group they may be and as distasteful as I find some of their positions."

Read the full IHT piece here.

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Mahler's Prodigal Son

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