http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/international/us-rejects-hamas-claim-of-coup-.aspx
US rejects Hamas claim of coup Washington, Dec. 20: The United States rejected an accusation on Tuesday from Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya that Washington was trying to topple the elected government led by his Islamist party, Hamas. "That sort of rhetoric is a distraction from the fact that he and his government have failed to govern," said state department spokesperson Sean McCormack. Mr Haniya lashed out at the United States for backing a move by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, from the rival Fatah party, to call earlier elections in a bid to end a power struggle with Hamas. Washington, which considers Hamas a terrorist organisation, has supported the early election call even though the Palestinian Constitution does not explicitly give Mr Abbas the right to take the step. US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice spoke with Mr Abbas about the issue on Sunday, Mr McCormack said, without providing details of their conversation. Mr Haniya denounced the President's move as "unconstitutional". "There exists a non-declared decision to topple this government. This policy is being carried out by the Americans," he said in a televised speech, without elaborating. Hamas won the last Palestinian elections in January, prompting a devastating financial boycott of the government by the United States, European Union and Israel. The Western powers insist Hamas drop its refusal to recognise Israel and renounce violence as conditions for lifting the boycott, a step the Iranian- and Syrian-backed movement has refused to take. Mr Abbas' attempt to wrest control of the government from the Islamists sparked deadly clashes and a spake of tit-for-tat kidnappings involving supporters of Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip that has left 11 people dead since Saturday. Mr McCormack said Hamas brought the political turmoil on itself by failing to meet the principles put forward by the so-called "Qartet of Middle East" peace negotiators --- the United Nations, European Union, United States and Russia. (AP) +++ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
