Obama wants to talk to Hamas

Obama wants to talk to Hamas. Perhaps he can get them to limit the number of mortars and rockets they fire into Israel every day. After that, he can try to get Osama Bin Laden on the red phone and negotiate a delay in the next major terrorist attack against American soil. The only time terrorists want to negotiate is when they are losing. They want to get a delay so they can regroup and rearm. Then, they want to renew their attacks with a new vigor. Anyone who does not know this is an idiot.

Obama camp 'prepared to talk to Hamas'
Incoming administration will abandon Bush's isolation of Islamist group to initiate low-level diplomacy, say transition sources

* Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 8 January 2009 19.39 GMT

US president-elect Barack Obama is widely expected to adopt a more even-handed approach to the Middle East conflict once he assumes office. Photograph: Tannen Maury/EPA

The incoming Obama administration is prepared to abandon President Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist organisation, sources close to the transition team say.

The move to open contacts with Hamas - which could be initiated through the US intelligence services - would represent a definitive break with the Bush presidency's ostracising of the group.

The Guardian has spoken to three people with knowledge of the discussions in the Obama camp. Full story here.