What does a Hamas win mean for Israel and the middle east?

[ddbaj]

I am no expert on the region, but didn't Hamas already have a habit of launching rockets and Israel a habit of bombing Gaza?

Will Hamas' slaughter of the Fatah folks change the broader picture at all? I've heard some who say maybe now without any moderating influence Gaza can become a total anti-Israel enclave. What say you? Thanks in advance.

[endarkenment]

1. Hamas has now won at the ballot box and on the ground

(at least in Gaza.) The half baked schemes to deny the legitimacy of their electoral victory lead directly to half baked schemes to back a fatah attack on Hamas. Now the PA government is in shambles, Hamas is the only authority in gaza, and dealing directly with Hamas is really the only viable option. Of course that option was available way back when Hamas won at the ballot box, and taking it then might have actually lead to positive results.

[Fredda Weinberg]

2. Hamas was the alternative to cronyism

Unfortunately, an old pattern in the Middle East. Palestinians are relatively secular and modern in their outlook, but half a century of deprivation can only have corrosive effects.

As for dealing with Hamas, remember their origin ... supported by the Israeli government as a balance to the PLO's militancy. They have chosen a dead end and you can eventually expect them to resemble their opposition.

There is no authority in Gaza - the government was officially dissolved today. Old scores will continue to be settled and if you don't know the history of the region, don't be suprised by anything that happens next.

[bemildred]

3. Terrorists claim CIA files seized

JERUSALEM – Terrorist groups, including Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committees, have seized large quantities of CIA security files stored at major compounds of militias associated with the U.S.-backed Fatah organization of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, terror leaders told WND today.

The terror leaders claimed the files contain, among other information, details of CIA networks in the Middle East.

"The CIA files we seized, which include documents, CDs, taped conversations and videos, are more important than all the American weapons we obtained the last two days as we took over the traitor Fatah's positions," said Muhammad Abdel-El, spokesman for the Hamas-allied Popular Resistance Committees terror group.

The Committees has been accused of carrying out anti-U.S. attacks, including a 2003 bombing of an American convoy in Gaza that killed three U.S. contractors.

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56174