I agree, sending troops at this point would be a mistake. The first step in making peace should be cutting off funding to the terrorist groups (Hamas, Hizbullah, etc...). It appears that Hamas has volunteered to be the first group to be made an example of with their inability to join in the cease-fire...
Australia freezes assets of group linked to Hamas
dawn.com
CANBERRA, June 16: Australia has joined the United States and a number of European countries in freezing the assets of an Islamic charity foundation with alleged links to the militant Palestinian group Hamas, the government announced today. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia had added the al-Aqsa Foundation to a list of organisations whose assets could be frozen because of suspected links to terror groups. "As a consequence of this listing it is now a criminal offence for persons who hold assets that are owned or controlled by the al-Aqsa Foundation to use or deal with those assets," he said. (AFP) (Posted @ 09:50 PST)
British FM slams Hamas; PA asks EU not to add Hamas to ''terrorist list''
albawaba.com
British FM slams Hamas; PA asks EU not to add Hamas to ''terrorist list''
16-06-2003
Hamas is trying to blow up the Middle East peace process, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Monday, calling for an international crackdown on the Palestinian group.
"There is no doubt at all that the terrorist group Hamas is literally trying to blow this process to pieces," he told reporters at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
"We are taking firm action in the United Kingdom against Hamas, and now I believe is the time for the whole of the international community including the European Union to take action against a group which has made very clear that it has no interest whatever in being a partner for peace," he said...
EU, Bolstering Palestinians, Presses for Cease-fire
reuters.com
...The EU is now dangling the threat of adding the political wing of Hamas to exert pressure following a fresh wave of violence that threatens to engulf new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas before he can assert his authority.
Shaath said there would be no need for such sanctions if Hamas committed itself to a cease-fire. "I hope that we will get their answer maybe tomorrow...So let us not say anything that would make matters more difficult," he said.
But outgoing EU Middle East peace envoy Miguel Angel Moratinos was quoted by Spain's El Pais daily on Monday as saying the bloc should add Hamas to its list of terrorist organizations, whose assets may be seized... |
