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To: FJB who wrote (2382)	10/12/2006 8:11:07 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 20106

Mashaal says proud of Shalit's kidnapping Ynet ^ \| 10.12.06, 10:54 \| Roee Nahmias ynetnews.com Hamas' politburo head rejects claims that he had ordered June 25 operation near Gaza which resulted in snatching Gilad Shalit, blames Olmert's stubbornness for failure of talks to secure his release Roee Nahmias Published: 10.12.06, 10:54 Hamas' politburo head Khaled Mashaal says he doesn't regret the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, saying the Israeli soldier won't be released unless Israel acquiesces to Hamas' demands. Speaking to the London-based daily al-Hayat, Mashaal denied that he had ordered the operation but praised it as "heroic" and said every Palestinian should be "proud" of the kidnappers. "First it wasn't me who took the decision to kidnap the soldier and I had no previous knowledge. Second, I don't think that those who carried out this heroic operation, which I am proud of, should have regrets," he said. Asked about Syria's role in the operation, Mashaal denied accusations that Damascus is encouraging extremist elements in the Palestinian territories to sabotage efforts to renew the long-stalled peace process. "The decision about the fate of the Israeli soldier is neither in Damascus nor in any other defined geographical location. The decision depends on the organization's position," he said. Mashaal blamed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for the failure of negotiations over Shalit's release, charging that the Israeli government had systematically rejected Hamas release terms. 'Olmert is stubborn' Mashaal said Hamas' efforts are focused on securing the release of 1,000 Palestinian women and children jailed in Israel. "The main drive is to secure the release of the largest possible number of female and male Palestinian and Arab prisoners. We demand the release of 1,000 prisoners, women and children. The issue of prisoners is a sensitive, humanitarian and political issue." Asked whether he would accept the principle of a two-state solution by which a Palestinian state would exist in peace along side Israel, Mashaal said; "As a Palestinian I am interested in the establishment of a Palestinian state and I am not interested in the state of occupation … the Zionist country exists. I am speaking about a Palestinian state that doesn't exist. I am the one who has been denied a state, sovereignty, independence and choice of fate." Mashaal added that Hamas would accept a long-term ceasefire with Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 67 borders. "We accept a hudna (ceasefire) because one of our principles is not to recognize the Zionist entity. Why do I say so? Because there are some who say we are unrealistic. "The Zionist entity exists in reality and I am asked to give it legitimacy and to recognize its legality. He who doesn't recognize the Zionist entity isn't dreaming and unrealistic; we are realistic. Reality doesn't require us to recognize the legitimacy of the occupation … why am I asked to give legitimacy to the occupation of my land. There is an entity called Israel, yes. But I am not interested in recognizing it."

To: FJB who wrote (2382)	10/12/2006 10:04:19 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 20106

Armenia genocide bill may worsen France-Turkey relations EarthTimes ^ \| 10/12/06 \| Pat Fryer earthtimes.org PARIS: Lawmakers in France approved a bill Thursday introducing fines and prison sentences to those who deny that the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during and after World War 1 amounted to genocide. Deputies in the National Assembly, France's lower house of Parliament, voted 106-19 favoring the bill, which recognizes the killings of about 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1919 as genocide and imposes a fine of 45,000 euros and a year in prison on those denying it. Senators from the upper house will now consider the bill, which upon passage, will go before president Jacque Chirac. The bill was introduced by the opposition Socialists. The country had passed a law in 2001 classifying the Armenian killings as genocide. The proposed legislation intends to make it a crime to deny that genocide. Armenia contends that Turkey had massacred Armenians during World War I, when Armenia was under the Ottoman Empire. Turkey maintains the Armenians were killed in civil unrest as the empire collapsed. The vote prompted reactions in Turkey, which is now trying to join European Union. Its chief negotiator in European Union membership talks Ali Babacan said Thursday the French bill flew in the face of freedom of expression. He said it is violating one of the core principles of the European Union. The Turkish government had approved the launch of a study by scientists and historians into the genocide theory and Babacan said Ankara would accept the conclusion of the study. A ruling party lawmaker in France, Patrick Devedjian, said the government of Turkish prime minister Recep Erdogan, who has sharply criticized the bill, had adopted a law that punishes the admission of a genocide with time in prison in Turkey. Turkey's foreign ministry said the relations between the two countries, developed over centuries, have been dealt a blow with the bill. It termed the bill as irresponsible false claims of French politicians, who do not see the political consequences of their actions. In Brussels, the European Commission said the passage of the bill will hamper reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia. EU officials had warned French legislators not to go ahead with their proposal, arguing it could throw already sensitive EU entry talks with Turkey into crisis. There could be an immediate repercussion. European aircraft maker EADS's Eurocopter unit has been trying to sell military helicopters worth hundreds of millions of euros to Turkey. Observers in Turkey now say the chances of Eurocopter winning the deal are virtually nil. Turkey could also bar French companies from bidding for state-owned assets, including nuclear power stations.