So said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack in a State Department press briefing yesterday (thanks to Teri).
QUESTION: How concerned are you that the recent violence in Gaza is going to -- both among Palestinians themselves and between the Israelis and Palestinians, going to set you back in terms of your efforts to move this forward?MR. MCCORMACK: Well, the -- certainly, violence perpetrated by Hamas, as we have seen recently, doesn't further the cause of peace. What is does is -- resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians and it also underscores the importance of reaching those political accommodations on the Israeli-Palestinian track among those individuals who are committed to peace like Prime Minister Olmert, like President Abbas, and the people around him and that work directly for him.
We would hope that Hamas would make another choice; in making a choice for peace, in making a choice for a Palestinian state, because the only way that they're going to see that is via the negotiating table. They're not going to see it by launching Qassam rockets into Israel. They're not going to see it by attacking the legitimate security forces of the Palestinian Authority. They're not going to see it by sending young people armed with suicide vests to blow up other Israeli youngsters. So --
QUESTION: But you --
MR. MCCORMACK: The Palestinians themselves are going to have to resolve that central contradiction where you have a group like Hamas that is committed to the use of terror, but also says it wants to be involved in a democratic process. The Palestinians are going to have to resolve that, but to bring it back, what all the -- what the violence underscores is the fact that it is all the more important that all those committed to peace in the region work actively and do everything that they can to move forward the process of peace.
QUESTION: Would you say that President Abbas is doing all that he can to stop this violence in terms of Hamas attacks from Gaza into Israel? Because it seems as if, anyway, that this is leading to another escalation of violence between Israelis and Palestinians that will set you even -- back even further.
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, President Abbas is committed to ending violence. He has never -- he has always been somebody that has shunned the use of terror. He has counseled against it. He is somebody who has actively worked for peace. He is somebody who has actively advocated for negotiations as opposed to the use of violence to realize a Palestinian state. We are urging all parties to exercise restraint. We understand the Israeli Government has a right to defend itself and they have explained that their actions, just over the past day or so, have been in reaction to stopping -- trying to stop further rocket launches into Israeli territory, rocket launches that have injured Israeli citizens.
But we've also urged them to consider the consequences of their actions in defending themselves on Palestinian infrastructure as well as on what effect it might have on the prospects for moving forward the political process. But we know that Prime Minister Olmert is somebody who is committed to working actively on that political track.
QUESTION: But I mean, we all know about President Abbas' commitment --
MR. MCCORMACK: Right.
QUESTION: -- to peace and his stated preference for negotiations, things like that.
MR. MCCORMACK: Right.
QUESTION: But in terms of this recent bout of violence, in terms of cracking down on Hamas militants --
MR. MCCORMACK: Right.
QUESTION: -- putting pressure on the Hamas part of the unity government to put their own -- use their own leverage against the Hamas militants, utilizing the security services -- I mean, is he doing all he can to stop this from spiraling out of --
MR. MCCORMACK: We believe that President Abbas is somebody who is committed to (a) the political negotiating track, (b) doing everything that he can to break up terror networks, to stop those attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip against Israel, and somebody who is committed also to building up a professional security force in not only the West Bank, but in the Gaza Strip. Now that's a work in progress and it's also a security force that was attacked by these Hamas-affiliated and Hamas forces.
So we believe that he is somebody who is doing the right things. Now we always encourage him to do everything he possibly can to do more, but we believe he is somebody who is committed to doing all those right things.
New Palestinian Authority textbooks call destruction of Israel a religious duty
Abbas sends warmest greetings to Iran's Ahmadinejad, wishes Iran "further progress and prosperity"
Abbas urges: 'Raise rifles against Israel'
Abbas Tells US PA Will Recognize Israel, Says Opposite on PA TV
Can someone send the above links to the State Department and especially MR. MCCORMACK! I mean what does it take for a person to find out that Abbas is wolf in sheep's clothing?
Taqqiyya baby!!...
Ladies and Genetlemen I present one of Capt. Ahab's finest
Scott McCormack...
God when will they stop trying to find this dam mythical moderate muslim leadership. In someways I like Hamas....at least they are honest!
Since there are so many people, in and out of the State Department, attempting to peddle absolute nonsense on anything that has to with Islam (today it just happens to be Arafat's accompliace Mahmoud Abbas, who is in up to his neck in Israeli and American blood -- including the blood of several members of the State Department, killed on Arafat's orders in Khartoum), one hardly knows where to begin.
I was prompted, by this utter nonsense of Scott McCormack, to think back to another State Department "spokesman" for the State Department, who three years ago attempted, on behalf of that same State Department (good god, the State Department's public-relations efforts on behalf of the Jihad, Greater and Lesser, deserve Congressional investigation -- real and slow and methodical explanation, but beginning right now, and it might help if the Democrats were the ones to most noisily demand it) to convince us, the American publiic, that Muslims have had a deep and abiding connection to the United States (this is a claim carefully constructed, and presented by Muslims, as they tell the people of Western Euirope that without them, the Muslims, the Renaissance or modern science or this or that would not have been possible, tell the people of Australia that they, the Muslims, were its first explorers and settlers, and so on -- staking a claim, not that any claim outside the Word of Allah is necessary, to every bit of the Land of the Infidels).
McIntosh's nonsense did not go unnoticed by Robert Spencer, and an excerpt follows from his piece "State Plays Orwellian with Columbus":
FrontPageMagazine.com | August 26, 2004
"George Orwell knew that if you can control a people’s past, you can control its present; that’s why in 1984 he has a whole government department — the Ministry of Truth — devoted to rewriting history. Now, twenty years beyond Orwell’s nightmare year, we call the Ministry of Truth the State Department: in a press release issued Monday, “Islamic Influence Runs Deep in American Culture,” Phyllis McIntosh of State’s Washington File burbles that “Islamic influences may date back to the very beginning of American history. It is likely that Christopher Columbus, who discovered America in 1492, charted his way across the Atlantic Ocean with the help of an Arab navigator.”
Note this please: The State Department of the United States issued a press release, "Islamic Influence Runs Deep in American Culture." And this is what it contained:
:Islamic influences may date back to the very beginning of American hisetory. It is likely that Christopher Columbus, who discovered America in 1492, charted his way across the Atlantic Ocean with the help of an Arab navigator."
Now tell us, please, who wrote this? Was it Phyllis McIntosh? If so, where is she now? But it probably wasn't she alone. It may have been some Karen-Hughes clone, or a group of "public diplomacy" idiots lying to "reach out to Islam." Who are they?
And who is behind Scott McCormack and his remarks about Abbas, so easily refuted by 30 years of Abbas's own life, own doings, own work as Arafat's accomplice and now as the sly, Janus-faced two-sides-of-the-mouth Slow Jihadist?
What does the State Department, what does Rice, what do the rest of them trying to give the Sunni Arabs what they want on Israel because they haven't the faintest idea how to exploit for our purposes the situation in, or even to extricate themselves with semi-dignity from, Tarbay Iraq.
Their nonsense and lies only breed contempt and disgust for the whole operation. There are no doubt some good people in the State Department. There are, no doubt, those in, for example the European desks, who are now alarmed by the demographic conquest of Western Europe. They must rise to the occasion. They must get Congress to stop the outright lying, and the attempt to mislead the public.
One intelligent and determined Congressman, if he refuses to be deterred, can do it.
Hugh, you're a genius.
With Fjordman, the logic, with Mr. Spencer, the telling remark and the ability to hit the nail so firmly on the head, and with you, the elegance of prose.
You know, my day started off SOOOO well: firstly reading of Abu's gangrene, next the infighting in gaza but now I read this:
"Note this please: The State Department of the United States issued a press release, "Islamic Influence Runs Deep in American Culture." And this is what it contained:
Islamic influences may date back to the very beginning of American hisetory. It is likely that Christopher Columbus, who discovered America in 1492, charted his way across the Atlantic Ocean with the help of an Arab navigator"
YOUR TAX BUCKS AT WORKS FOLKS
Will the real Mahmoud Abbas, please stand up?
The State Department shows that the first step in becoming a dhimmi is to be a dummy.
These clowns at the highest level of your government don't know their arse from their elobow; honestly! As a Canadian, I can't for the life of me figure out why there isn't a groundswell of support to create a THIRD indepedant party; call it the freedom party or whatever, to USURP these Bozos out of office a return America to the right path.
Time to fix the headline in the interest of accuracy:
"President Abbas is committed to violence".
There, that's more like it. Abbas is a man of peace the same way Genghis Khan was-when he gets everything all his way then and only then will there be peace.
Is being lobotomised a condition for working in the State Department?
McCormack is only expressing the policy of President Bush.
Triumphant_Paladin-
After the immigration fiasco that was just drafted by the Senate, there may well be a third party this next election cycle.
About time too.
It is to bad that the civilized world feels the need to spend, as well as expend such incredible resources on a people who never change and will not change. The more support they get the greater the threat they are to Israel, the more support they get the greater the corruption (look at Arafats widow in Paris). Their greatest export is violence. They teach it,they practice and they live it everyday; even among themselves.
Has Scott McCormack read the 36 articles of the Hamas Charter? actually that should be the first requisite if you are even going to comment on the Palestinians. When I think of the State Department the words "Status Quo" always come to mind.
These are probably the same yoyos who believed Arafat too.
One thing that we can all be assured of - Abbas could stop this yesterday, or the day before, because all the Palestinians know where the hamas members are. Oh, gee - Abbas is one of them!
Hamas has been getting their men trained in this so called 'cease fire' and rearmed. So has Hezbollah in Lebanon. How come the Isrealis know this (this is how I found out because I get newsletters from Israel)? The utterly useless NATO in Lebanon just sits back and watches muslim atrocities and their rearming. This is the same M.O that they do in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Abbas is just doing what Arafat did - practicing the deception that muslims do, and when the Israelis start fighting back - he will practice the 'victimization' and 'turnspeak' that Arafat did too. Same old story, different day. The Jews are not behaving as proper dhimmi and the muslims just will not get over it.
They have land, they could just as well build their country on that - but that is not their goal they feed the left wing monkeys - their goal is to drive Israel to the ocean and then when that is done they will then be able to direct their murder towards a different group of non-muslims. You don't breed murderers and then think they will stop it when you want it stopped (this is where Saudi Arabia needs to realize what they are breeding will come home to roost - oh, that is right, the saudis are really a dull-witted group of people and don't take to learnin'. Why should they have to learn - they can buy their way in this world.).
Why is it that no one asks the Palestinians why don't they build their country on the land that was given to them? They never had a homeland before. Someone needs to just outright ask them, 'how do you feel being cannon fodder for the filthy rich Saudis?'. I really do believe that we are talking about a bunch of dull witted people here. They wouldn't be able to find their nose if it wasn't in front of their face.
If we have another war - I am going on a letter writing/email campaign and going to try to ask these newspapers, TV and radio left wing kooks why don't they go look at the Israeli hospital? They will find more muslims there than they would ever find a Jew in a muslim hospital. The Jews will actually be humane with the muslims - the reverse is totally not true. Or why don't the reporters tell the truth as to how many bombs, jihadists, etc have been blowing up Jews before the war started? I have to make is short with the left wing since they are not able to comprehend too much about islam just yet.
OT,
Here is our tsa and police (albeit donut eating ones) in action. He can thank god that this sergeant was not my kid, I better not say why cause they might come over and try to beat me down, can’t say that I care because I would rather be dead than live in a country with rats like these around. Why would they do that? Well they may not like my big fat mouth thats why. After all it happened to me once in my yout, they don’t care for being called what they have begged to be called, but it don’t hurt so much they hit like girlymen more often than not. What a disgrace, they search gramma or little Janie, they beat down soldiers, they put their greasy hands on our belongings searching for islamist bombs, but you better watch your mouth or fatty might get his lard*** buddies and beat you down as well. And the cops wonder why they are losing the respect of the people who ordinarily follow their instructions. Guess what stupids, minorities wont even talk to you and now you are attempting to alienate the rest of us. Stupid is as stupid does.
Donut eating porkster cop and friends go nuts, attacks veteran army medic,
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/226912.php
Is this some kind of new security arrangement? What if we did that to gitmo detainees? Oh no we would never do that, Its only some people who get beat down and then kicked loose, hoping they will take it go away and forget about it I guess. I want some ass and I want it now, so get on the ball any decent cops out there before this type destroys your profession.
Hey Sarge, way to conduct yourself in the face of the American Gestapo, and thanks for your service to the country.
Triumphant_Paladin-
After the immigration fiasco that was just drafted by the Senate, there may well be a third party this next election cycle.
About time too.
It is continuously obvious by articles like the one posted here, that the goverment A) Has no idea whats going on and B)Does not generally act in the best interest of its constituents.
What will it take to try and build a foundattion for another political party which will satisfy both A) and B)? Not only are George Bush's policies failed but the conservatives keep pusuing foreign policy which is Ultimately dangerous for itself and its allies.
I don't get it.
This is Diplomatic double talk. We know its BS, it justifies our support for Fatah.
Right now Bush is fighting Hamas to the last member of Fatah. This is a good thing. Remmeber the good old days during the Iran-Iraq war.
I think the Gaza pullout and Hamas's election has been a great success for Isreal. The Palistian cause has lost huge amounts of support even by the European left.
Now its time to contain the rockets.
"President Abbas is committed to ending violence. He has...always been somebody that has shunned the use of terror"
If you believe that, I have a few famous bridges for sale...
Bottom line, Abbas is a submitter to Allah, who admits to being a terrorist god in Quran 8:12, and other places. You cannot shun terror when your god is a terrorist. Allah know best, and he knows whats good for muslims. Abbas then, has always been a terrorist, and will always be a terrorist, unless he apostates and quits listening to Allah...
Another indication how ill served we are by the State Department.
But then the Congress, except for a few people of principle,is largely a useless bunch of hacks,demagogues,money grubbers and ignoramuses,
Now add CAIR and the Saudis cruising the sewers of the beltway buying or extracting influence.
To describe this scene Dante would have his work cut out for him.
Abbas is committed to end violence by wiping out all opponents.
Abbas shuns the use of terror as it causes Judean snipers to shoot you.....he prefers using the IDF, Americans and his Fatah brigades to kill his opponents.
It is good to be king.
OT:
(Hugh. You will be outed as a closet liberal with tarbabies and green environmentalism as your persistent delusions, the champion of the dark side of Machiovelli (lol))
State Dept Mouthpiece:
"Well, President Abbas is committed to ending violence. He has never -- he has always been somebody that has shunned the use of terror. He has counseled against it."
I suggest that this guy looks up the name Abu Mazen.
"We would hope that Hamas would make another choice; in making a choice for peace, in making a choice for a Palestinian state, because the only way that they're going to see that is via the negotiating table."
Yeah -- but is this what Hamas wants. Judging by comments made by Hamas and by their actions, this is not their goal. They want Israel GONE! Destroyed!
They want to move the Jews out, and the Palestinians in. Haven't you been paying attention?
No more Mr. Nice Guy, it's time to play hard ball with these thugs.
moslem woman attacks first car then cop. lunacy on our streets.. imagine millions more of them..
It would be helpful if I included the link...
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f1b_1179186004
Abbas is not only a true terrorist but one well-schooled in that ol' Islamic mantra: "war is deception".
He has certainly fooled the US government!!!!
(which unfortunately doesn't require much these days, it would seem).
Abbas is was and is a terrorist, no more, no less. To portray this scumbag as a statesman is repugnant. His PA, as well, differs not from Hamas or other terrorist groups.
Abbas is, also, the ostensible head of Fatah, which has never distanced itself from its Al Aqsa Martyr's Brigades. They, surprise, surprise, have been responsible for countless terror attacks.
Many of our efforts past and present have been impaired because of the State Department being woollen-headed and out of touch, whilst residing in a bubble. .
Once again the use of logic on our part to try to understand what these public employees are doing doesn't make any sense. The main reason is that they use no logic.
This State Department employee is simply mouthing some talking points. There is no logic in what he is saying. I would bet that he's not old enough to remember Arafat. When he has no reference to point to, he is completely in the dark.
McCormack doesn't believe what he's saying any more than us here do. He thinks he can coax Abbas to peacefully negotiate by lying and sucking up (I have no kinder words for this). But it won't work.
He forgot to finish the sentence...
He abhors the "use of terror":
"...by palestinians against other palestinians."
Who the hell are they kidding? lol
The Palestinians would not take less. Abbas willing to do it. It would not matter who took his place they would have to do what the Palestinians want! Hamas in government will never end nothing! Except peace that is and life!
I don't think Abbas fooled the U.S. government. The government fooled us! They have no solution! As the same with the illegals! Except the illegals knew how to do it without war (sofar). Israel has been forced to try and live with these killers. As we are forced here to live with people who also brake the laws and commit all kinds of trespasses and murder and rape! We will pay here too.