[Boston Globe] Bryan Bender and Farah Stockman - Nine former senior U.S. officials and one current adviser are urging the Obama administration to talk with leaders of Hamas to determine whether the militant group can be persuaded to disarm and join a peaceful Palestinian government, a major departure from current U.S. policy. The group, which includes economic recovery adviser Paul A. Volcker and former national security advisers Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski, made the recommendation in a letter handed to Obama days before he took office. Other signatories included Lee Hamilton, Thomas Pickering, James Wolfensohn, Carla Hills, Theodore Sorensen, Chuck Hagel, and Nancy Kassebaum Baker. The State Department has designated Hamas a terrorist organization and longstanding U.S. policy has stipulated that before engaging in any talks, Hamas must renounce violence, recognize Israel, and agree to all previous agreements signed by Palestinian negotiators. Many other Middle East specialists believe that meeting with Hamas would set a bad precedent of negotiating with terrorists and could also undermine more moderate Palestinian leaders.
2009-03-16 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive