They’ll use it for peaceful purposes. Really, they will. Trust them.
Ten to one the EU falls for this.
“EU calls on Hamas to clarify political intentions,” from AP, with thanks to Kasia:
EU foreign ministers on Monday called on the Hamas to clarify its political intentions in an eventual Palestinian government, urging it to embrace peace efforts with Israel.
The 25-member bloc is also questioning whether it can continue its multimillion euro aid to a government that looks likely to be led by Hamas, a group that remains on an EU blacklist of terrorist groups. Hamas, meanwhile, called on the international community Monday not to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority.
Promising the money would only go toward helping the Palestinians and saying a Hamas government is ready to have its spending monitored, Ismail Hanieh, a Hamas leader in Gaza, also said the group is ready to negotiate the terms of continued foreign aid with the international community.
Hanieh spoke just hours before senior representatives of the Quartet of Mideast mediators – the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia – met on Monday.
He urged the West to reconsider, saying it must recognize the result of the Palestinian election.
“We in Hamas are ready to meet and have an open dialogue with the Quartet,” Hanieh told a news conference in Gaza City.
He called on the donor nations to continue transferring aid to the Palestinian treasury, and said the money would be spent to help Palestinians in their daily lives.
“We assure you that all the money will be spent under your supervision,” he said, adding that Hamas was willing to discuss means of keeping the spending transparent.