Hamas risks Damascus base to support Syrian opposition

[tabatha]

Ismail Haniya, the group's leader in Gaza, announced to a rally of thousands his support for Syrian protesters seeking to overthrow his long-term supporter Bashar al-Assad – a move that will undoubtedly draw stern rebuke from staunch Syrian ally and Hamas patron Iran.

During Friday prayers at Al Azhar mosque in Cairo, Mr Haniya said, "I salute all people of the Arab Spring, or Islamic winter, and I salute the Syrian people who seek freedom, democracy and reform." His declamation was answered with calls of "No Hizbollah and no Iran" and "the Syrian revolution is an Arab revolution" from the crowd.

In the Gaza Strip, a senior Hamas member Salah al-Bardaweel told thousands of Palestinian worshippers, "No political considerations will make us turn a blind eye to what is happening on the soil of Syria."

Even as number of civilian protesters killed by Syrian government troops soars into the thousands, Hamas has so far attempted to remain neutral on the Syria issue pulled between a Palestinian population outraged at the brutality of the regime and political loyalty owed to an historically critical ally. When Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal was stripped of his Jordanian citizenship in 1999, Syria was the only Arab state to offer him refuge.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9107218/Hamas-risks-Damascus-base-to-support-Syrian-opposition.html

[JimmyT]

2. Terrorists groups jockeying for power is hardly democratic

Hezbollah and Hamas are united in the goal of burning Israel to the ground, but that's about it. Hamas smells blood in the water and wants a bite of it's own to strengthen themselves. If they can get a strong base of support in Syria, they'll be much better poised to attack Israel then they are right now.

[applegrove]

3. You are correct.