After the stellar example of Iraqi "democracy" .....
Which M/E country will be next to switch spontaneously to "democracy"?
Iran, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia?
==============================
Hamas Gets Decisive Majority in Palestinian Elections
Radical Islamic Group Secures 76 Seats, Fatah 43; Prime Minister, Cabinet Resign
By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, January 26, 2006; 1:30 PM
RAMALLAH, West Bank, Jan. 26 -- The radical Islamic group Hamas won 76 seats in voting for the first Palestinian parliament in a decade, election officials announced Thursday evening, giving it a decisive majority in the 132-member body and the right to form the next government. The long-ruling Fatah movement won 43 seats.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and the rest of his Cabinet resigned, effectively acknowledging Hamas claims of a legislative majority before election officials released the results in a news conference.
"This is the choice of the people," Qureia told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "It should be respected."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...012600372.html
I agree.
It's the people's choice. I'll be interested to see if, a) the people come to regret that choice because of the consequences of electing a terrorist government and b) if Hamas will ever allow another free and fair election in "Arafatastan."
I think yes and no.
Canada - corrupt govt given the boot in 2006
Palestine - corrupt govt given the boot in 2006
US - ???
Information is flowing now that up to 25% of the paychecks for the P.A. police are collected by relatives of Fatahists who do NOTHING for them. No wonder the police can't do their jobs.
Hamas will adapt, because frankly, if they pull any , they can be found now. They'll be in their offices.
It sounds like one reason that Fatah was booted was that Arafat/Fatah corruption had been forever and everywhere.
Arafat kept his young wife+baby in a Paris appt for $3000/month, IIRC.
Almost none of the $Bs given to Arafat/Fatah ever reached the people or was used for their benefit.
It sounds like 100's of $Ms in Iraq intended for security or reconstruction are used to buy protection from the insurgents.
The part of the world is so ass- edly, iredeemably corrupt and violent and inhuman that the whole dubya/ head/rummy/wolfie/condi "democracy is justification " for starting the war was never more than a 1-in-million longshot.
The M/E?? Look at how totally corrupt "democracy" and business and "religion" are in the USA.
I know this has been asked before but, exactly which liberties have been restricted?
I do think exstatic makes a good point though. If Hamas truly plays along and engages as a democratically elected government -- with all the "trappings" -- such as meetings and lawmaking (instead of the usual summary executions and intimidation) I think a cruise missile should be deployed to their first assembly.
After all, they've already stated that the destruction of Israel will remain the singular plank in the Hamas platform. What's the point in waiting, bomb 'em as soon as they get enough of their sorry asses in one room to make a difference.
If Hamas remains committed to destroying Israel and Hamas is the duly elected representative government of "Palestine," I say they've joined the Axis of Evil and should be treated accordingly.
you know, the ones everyone are talking about...duh.
How about the right to walk down the street without an ID? or the right to be served with a subpenoa before the Government can take a look at your harddrive, or data-mine your domestic phone conversations, open your international mail, or listen in on your international calls under the guise of the war on terror?
Hmmm, I don't get many calls from Ali Baba. But that's just me.
Yeah, because we all know the only calls being eavesdropped on are when 'Al-Queda call an American citizen', right? Tell that to PETA, and that terra' organization, the Quakers
"calls from Ali"
NSA is running a warrantless fishing expedition on everything, international and domestic, not just calls to your buddy Ali.
Assume that the DNC and various Dem campaign HQ, etc data streams will be made available to Karl Rove and RNC.
Assume that NSA fishing data will be made available for industrial spying purposes on behalf of corps that contribute heavily to the Repugs.
Where'd you hear that?
I think you've got this NSA program confused with Clinton and Eschelon.
He is. And pray tell what liberties have you lost? I have lost none, but
then I am a conservative and they know that.
That hasn't changed dummy. Do you know the difference between
"international" and "domestic". Besides Clinton is the one who does the
warrant-less searches of homes. Not Bush.
You left out "big oil" and "Halliburton". Hey did you see where Halliburton
had record profits. The monitoring stuff pays off big time, doesn't it.
I think they may build that black helicopter that keeps watch on you
and Nbadan rather.
Let's start more wars. Good thinking, assbag.
I think the proper phrase is "let's spread more freedom."
How can we spread what some on this board think we are losing? Just thought
I would ask.
because there's only so much to go around. The more we spread to other countries, the less we have for ourselves.
^^Oh, that's how it works. Hmmmm, like if I make a million, I took it from someone
and made them poor. Yeah, got it now.
Well, the Palestinians keep putting ty leaders in power. Unless Hamas does some huge backtracking, they are going to reap nothing but violence from this election. I woudln't be suprised to see an eventual reoccupation of Gaza by Isreal at this point.
That whole area is occupied by idiots who deserve each other. I'm so tired of their inability to form peace.
You make a good point Manny! The hate in these people has been inbred since birth. Ever heard of the Hatfields & McCoys? It's an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth! Meanwhile....Allah approves of it all....right?
January 28, 2006
In One Village, Anger and a Hunger for Change
By IAN FISHER
DEIR GHASSANA, West Bank, Jan. 27 — It is not hard to find Palestinians here who see the victory of Hamas as the triumph of resistance and of the group's longstanding vow to drive Israel into the sea.
But here, at least with the radical Islamic party's sweep of the Palestinian parliament still fresh, the talk turned more to responsibility — to improve the lives of Palestinians, even if that means Hamas has to moderate itself and, someday, to negotiate with Israel.
From interviews in this village — neither poor nor rich, with deep ties to Fatah but also much sympathy for Hamas — the bottom line seemed to be this: Exhaustion with Fatah's perceived corruption and incompetence, along with the hope that Hamas, known by Israelis for terror but by Palestinians for charity, might actually deliver change.
"Resistance is the second stage," Nazieh Barghouti, 67, an accountant, insisted Friday, amid celebrations with no concern for the rain and cold. "But the main stage is to arrange the house of Palestine."
There seems no simple, single reason why Palestinians gave 76 seats out of 132 to a powerful and deadly militant group, doling out a meager 43 to Fatah, the faction that has dominated political life here for 40 years.
Clearly, some want a bigger fight with Israel. Others want more religion in public life. Some just want change.
"What is the alternative?" asked Khaled Abu Khatah Barghouti, 36, a local director of social services for the Palestinian Authority. "The alternative is Hamas."
"The majority can't explain why they voted for Hamas," he said. "But if you sit with them they will say: 'We hate Fatah. They did nothing for us. A few poor people suddenly became rich people. Hamas worked in another way. They worked with society. They worked with the poor.' "
On the surface, this village of stone walls and gnarled olive trees that local people say date from the Romans may seem a natural stronghold for Fatah. It is dominated by the Barghouti clan, the extended family of Marwan Barghouti, the popular young Fatah leader in an Israeli jail, and many villagers commute about 20 miles every day to Ramallah, the Palestinian administrative capital, to comfortable jobs in government or private business.
But it still delivered well over half of its votes to Hamas, with about a third going to Fatah. Even the list of candidates with Marwan Barghouti, who is still popular here, won less than half as many votes as the Hamas list. In part, it seems, Hamas simply ran a better campaign. A local Hamas activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared being singled out for reprisals by Israelis, said 40 Hamas representatives fanned out with voting lists before the election, making their case and even providing transportation to the polls.
"It was a well-organized campaign," he said, adding that he had expected the victory, "but the numbers were a surprise."
A local Fatah representative conceded that his party had done far less on the ground. Asked why Hamas won, the representative, Muhammad Khalil, shot back: "You should say, 'Why did Fatah lose?' Fatah is now in a period of self-evaluation."
On Friday it seemed as if everyone in town had voted for Hamas. After Friday Prayer — the local mosque was hung with green Hamas flags from the minaret on down — the men of the village convoyed through the streets, with horns honking, and boys on roofs waved flags and thumped on big bass drums.
"God is great!" children in green headbands yelled.
Celebrations like this ignite anger among many Israelis, given Hamas's responsibility for many of the deadliest suicide attacks — in crowded buses, cafes, a discothèque full of teenagers. But villagers here said, with no hesitation, that after five years of on and off conflict, they fully expected Israel now to exert a heavier hand in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
"They knew what they voted for," said Ammar Barghouti, 28, who works for a dry cleaning company in Ramallah. "They know the consequences. If they want to liberate their land, they have to suffer."
Several said they did not worry that Western nations, including those in the European Union, would cut off financial assistance. They said corrupt Fatah leaders had skimmed off much of the money anyway.
"It is not as if the people received any of it," said Nazieh Barghouti, the accountant.
The interviews here seemed to belie suggestions that Palestinians did not really think through their vote for Hamas, that it was an angry and instinctive vote to punish Fatah.
Nearly to a person, they said they had considered the risks, like international isolation or an end to hopes of negotiations with Israel for a Palestinian state. In the end they decided that the balance went to Hamas, which has no reputation for corruption and whose history of resistance might even help make a deal with Israel.
"People, when they chose Hamas, they knew they would face many challenges," said Fadia Barghouti, 33, an English teacher whose husband is in an Israeli jail under su ion of being a Hamas leader. "The return of the Israeli Army. Financial problems."
"But they elected Hamas," she said. "They respect Hamas. They hate Fatah. They want perhaps a real state. The Israeli Army left Gaza because of resistance, not because of agreements."
She added, though, that for real change, Hamas itself might have to change.
"Now they are not only a resistance group," she said. "They are the government. They should talk and be more realistic. This is a very heavy responsibility they have taken. But I think they will be able to do it."
* Copyright 2006The New York Times Company
I agree with the article, boutons. I believe the Palestinians have traded one evil for a worse one.
And, they'll come to regret it.
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