Hamas In Secret Talks With Democrat Party?

I’m not sure how many are paying attention to this, but I sure hope it isn’t true.

Hamas officials have managed to smuggle more than $66 million in cash through the Rafah border crossing in the past eight months, a member of the Hamas-led government revealed Wednesday.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Hamas-led government claimed that Hamas representatives recently held talks with officials from the US Democratic Party at a secret location.

The sources told the Bethlehem-based Maan News Agency that Hamas representatives have also been holding secret talks with European government officials, including Britain and France.

Hmmm…if true, I wonder what they could be talking about?

More from WND:

The source told Maannews the Democrats expressed an understanding with the Hamas principal of not recognizing Israel and applauded Hamas’ willingness to accept a long-term cease-fire with the Jewish state in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to what is known as the pre-1967 borders – meaning an evacuation of the Gaza Strip, West Bank and eastern sections of Jerusalem.

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Report: Democrats meet with Hamas?
Allahpundit

I’m skeptical, not because I think they’re opposed on principle but because they’d worry about people finding out. That’s why half of them voted for the Iraq war. Fear of being seen as soft.

It’s not like they’d having nothing to talk about, though.

Hamas met with a delegation of “important Democrats” who expressed interest in relations with the Palestinian terror group even if it doesn’t recognize the right of Israel to exist, a Palestinian news website claimed today.

Maannews quoted a source in the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority stating the terror group felt it important to meet with members of the Democratic Party since, the Hamas source said, the party will likely win 2008 presidential elections…

According to the report, the alleged meeting with the Democrats took place in a European country following a series of preliminary meetings with representatives from the British and French governments.

The source told Maannews the Democrats expressed an understanding with the Hamas principal of not recognizing Israel and applauded Hamas’ willingness to accept a long-term cease-fire with the Jewish state in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to what is known as the pre-1967 borders…

Never mind who the Democrats are meeting with. Who’s the GOP meeting with? And what are they talking about with them? ...

*** Update and bump. Original timestamp 16:37

Hamas Shoots Its Mouth Off
Ed Morrissey

Earlier today, the Jerusalem Post ran a story on Hamas' smuggling efforts to avoid the sanctions placed on the Palestinian Authority since they came to power. They have successfully imported $66 million, but that wasn't what caught the eye of The Anchoress when she read the article. Her jaw dropped at this:

Hamas officials have managed to smuggle more than $66 million in cash through the Rafah border crossing in the past eight months, a member of the Hamas-led government revealed Wednesday.

Meanwhile, sources close to the Hamas-led government claimed that Hamas representatives recently held talks with officials from the US Democratic Party at a secret location.

The sources told the Bethlehem-based Maan News Agency that Hamas representatives have also been holding secret talks with European government officials, including Britain and France.

However, a funny thing happened to the story in the intervening hours between The Anchoress' post and now -- the last two paragraphs have disappeared from the story. It no longer discusses any contact Hamas purports to have with any Western officials, either in Europe or the United States. The Jerusalem Post offers no explanation for the redaction, either.

It seemed a strange notion at best. ...

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The JPost may have killed that part of their story but YNet hasn't. (H/T: Terresa, via email)

Report: Hamas ministers met with US, EU officials 
Palestinian source says ministers of Hamas-led government met with senior political officials in Europe, who showed their understanding for organization's stance. In US, Hamas representatives meet with senior members of Democratic Party
Ali Waked

The Palestinian news agency Maan, quoting a senior member of the Palestinian government, reported Wednesday that "ministers of the Hamas-led government recently held talks with European countries and with a delegation of the American Democratic Party.

According to the source, in the talks, the European officials showed their understanding for Hamas' stance.

According to the report, several European countries are already holding talks with Hamas, and the dialogue has succeeded in bringing about a certain change in the European stance toward the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

The Palestinian official said that Hamas representatives held meeting in European countries and even succeeded in convincing the Europeans to accept the movement's stance.

"Additional meetings will be held in the coming days between Hamas delegations and political officials in Europe and the United States," he added.  ...

... The source also noted that Hamas made some achievement on the American front thanks to a meeting held with senior members of the Democratic Party.

He refused to elaborate on the meeting and where it took place, claiming that Hamas is not interested in harming the Democrats' chances to win the 2008 elections. 

Anyone wanna bet me a sixpack Jean Fraud Kerry hasn't been mucking around in Paris again? '08 Election? Hillary's smarter than that. Who else can you think of who might not be?

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Thank you Patterico (via email) for the tip that UPI has picked up the story.

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Democrats Secretly Met with Hamas?
Patterico

UPI is reporting:

Hamas officials have smuggled more than $66 million into Gaza and have met with U.S. Democrats at a secret location, it was reported Wednesday.

Yes, you read that right. The article continues:

[...]

... Captain Ed is skeptical. He says the Democrats would have to be idiots to meet with Hamas. I say, maybe the Democrats are idiots.

In any event, a decent press would be very, very interested in tracking down the truth of this allegation.

Somehow, I doubt that will happen. But I’d love to be proved wrong.

*** Update and bump. Previous timestamp 2006.12.06.23:26

Why Must Democrats Always Meet With the Wartime Enemy?
Gateway Pundit

Yesterday's news was disgusting and theacherous but shocking? ...No!

This news yesterday that democrats were meeting with Hamas terrorists on the sly is disgusting but not so shocking:

Sources close to the Hamas-led government claimed that Hamas representatives recently held talks with officials from the US Democratic Party at a secret location.

This, of course, isn't the first time that democrats have held secret meetings with the enemy during wartime...

This certainly is nothing new for the democrats. ...

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Update: DNC Denies Meeting With Hamas In Secret
Greg Tinti

got a bunch of emails last night alerting me that JPost had pulled the paragraphs in the story mentioning the alleged secret meeting between Hamas officials and Democratic Party officials. I assumed the move was a CYA thing since the information didn't exactly come from the most reputable source.

Now a spokesperson at the DNC has responded to the item.

Stacie Paxton, Press Secretary for the US Democratic National Committee, denied reports on Thursday that Hamas leaders had met secretly with US Democratic Party officials. ...

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See also: Top Palestinian advisor: Yes, Hamas really did meet with the Democrats