France confirms informal talks to Hamas

[flashl]

Source: NY Times

PARIS (AP) -- France has had informal contacts with Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that rules Gaza, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday.

...

France has had contacts with Hamas leaders ''for several months,'' Kouchner said, adding that France was not in formal negotiations. ''These are not relations, they are contacts. We must be able to talk if we want to play a role,'' the minister said.

...

''We must try, but we must do so clearly and with (full knowledge) of our partners,'' Kouchner said.

In June, during an official visit to Israel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy ''will go to Palestine for several hours,'' the foreign minister said, adding that Sarkozy will not be meeting with Hamas.

NY Times

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-France-Hamas.html

[MJJP21]

1. I wonder

I wonder if Bush and McCain will ridicule Sarcozy like they are Barack Obama.

[flashl]

2. If not them, some surrogate will. Remember 'freedom fries'? nt

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. Sarkozy was the "rightist" French candidate

but he was still way left of Repubs. Left of most Dems, too, I think.

He has a good-sized Islamic constituency and should represent their interests, or at least be familiar with their interests.

And I'm sure we have our own contacts with Hamas, etc. At some diplomatic level (with deniability).

[Flagg]

8. Most muslims (not Islamic) in France don't care wether France has contact with Hamas

which is a foreign, very remote entity to most.

They care more about discrimination, keeping their job and making ends meet.
They care about what's going on in France first.

[LeftishBrit]

9. Exactly!

Especially as the majority of Europaean Muslims are not of Middle Eastern descent in any case. In many Europaean countries, Muslims tend to be of Indian, Pakistani or Turkish descent. Most French Muslims are of Algerian descent.

[Spouting Horn]

10. Most of the Muslims in France

hail from Morocco and Algeria, not palestine.

Or, is exploding oneself in the midst of civilians the "interests" of Muslims living in France?

[Laughing Mirror]

12. Sarkozy will not meet with Hamas he says

As for the constituency, Sarkozy has very few supporters in the large Muslim community in France, but now, with his popularity numbers rivaling those of the notorious George Bush, you could also say Sarkozky has few supporters in the country as a whole.

[ohio2007]

4. ''They assured (me) that they were ready to accept a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders......

Kouchner, speaking on Europe-1 radio, was confirming a report in the daily Le Figaro that quoted a retired diplomat as saying he met with Hamas leaders a month ago.


snip
''They assured (me) that they were ready to accept a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, which amounts to an indirect recognition of Israel,'' the diplomat was quoted as saying.


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-France-Hamas.h...


Chamberlain lives in the words of retired diplomat who spoke to them months ago.......

after months.... still waiting for them to recognize Israel as a state so the two sides can agree to meet as equals......

LOL
A thread worth saving for a year in review look back ;)

[reggie the dog]

6. Kouchner is a Socialist

who got a job as a minister for Sarkozy (not a religious minister, minister in the goverment) because Sarkozy wanted to show that he was open to sharing some power with the Socialists. Then the Socialists kicked him out (wtf????) He still seft identifies as a Socialist though.

[mwb970]

5. Appeasers!

"It's the exact same thing! They're appeasing appeasers. It's the same thing! They're appeasers, Chris! It's the same thing!"

[Phred42]

7. This ought to drive the Reich right out of their little minds

:rofl:

[vivalarevolucion77]

11. Obama disagrees with France

Obama criticized Carter when he spoke to Hamas and said he (Obama) would only speak to the group if it recognized Israel and drenounced terrorism:

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1636948020080416?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true