Carter: Give Hamas a chance

[WI_DEM]

Former President Carter says Hamas should be recognized by the international community, despite their militant history, and their leaders should be given a chance to renounce violence.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/01/carter.hamas/

Do you agree or disagree?

[Fenris]

1. What's the other option?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. With these yahoos in power?? Shock and Awe..... nt.

[rateyes]

2. Absolutely!

Had we taken a "no talk" stand with the PLO before they voted to recognize Israel's right to exist, etc. we would never have seen the Oslo Accords signed---(too bad Rabin was assassinated, came close to peace, IMO)

[Pirate Smile]

3. Bill Clinton said there should be a dialog too.

""You've got to find a way to at least open doors," Clinton told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Saturday. "And I don't see how we can do it without more contact."

In quotes picked up by the Associated Press, Clinton said Hamas might "acquire a greater sense of responsibility, and as they do we have to be willing to act on that." '

I don't want to link to it because it is NewsMax. I saw some footage of Bill saying this and did a quick search.

[Squatch]

4. Militant "history"?

Ummmm...this looks pretty recent to me: (taken Jan 28..I guess that's "history")

[pinto]

5. Yes, I think they ought to be recognized.

[deacon]

7. What other choice is there really? They are in charge now and will do

what they want to--what they end up doing is anybodys guess but i wouldn't be very optomistic.

[saltpoint]

8. President Carter helped monitor the Palestinian election; he reports no

significant irregularities; democracy involves the mechanism so undertaken; and it is the proper office of the U.S. to honor the results of a democratically-elected party.

We can't pimp democracy in Iraq and then deny it for Palestine.

[Hippo_Tron]

9. What the hell else can we do?

I'm not thrilled about these guys being in power, but like it or not they are. We might as well try to negotiate.

[moondust]

10. The real question is how many chances.

Since winning election they have already claimed they will not renounce violence and may in fact bring their militant wing into the army/police. Time will tell, not rhetoric.

[Wordie]

11. I'd like to see both sides renounce violence.

I abhor the violence, but think that since it is engaged in by both sides, that both need to renounce it.