Pressure for the US to recognise Hamas 16, March 2009
Posted by thegulfblog.com in American ME Relations.Tags: Boston Globe, Hamas, Hezbollah, recognition, Stephen Walk
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Stephen Walt over at the new Foreign Policy blog quotes the Boston Globe which lists US scholars, practitioners and ‘senior statesmen’ that believe that the US ought to be negotiating with Hamas. In addition to Walt himself, it is rather distinguished bi-partisan list: Brent Scowcroft, Henry Siegman, Carla Hills, Ted Sorensen, Lee Hamilton, Zbigniew Brzezinski, James Wolfensohn, Nancy Kassebaum, Paul Volcker and Chuck Hagel. The odds, however, of the US administration following the UK example (who decided to recognise Hezbollah recently) appear to be slim. Here’s hoping I’m wrong.
The UK recognise Hezbollah 10, March 2009
Posted by thegulfblog.com in American ME Relations, Lebanon, Western-Muslim Relations.Tags: Al-Jazeera, British government, Foreign Office, Hezbollah, New York Times, recognition, Roger Cohen
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The British have broken with their somewhat illogical policies of the past and are now recognising Hezbollah. A Foreign Office spokesperson is quoted on Al Jazeera as saying, “Hezbollah is a political phenomenon and part and parcel of the national fabric in Lebanon. We have to admit this.” When it is put like this, one wonders how they managed not to recognise them in the past. Moreover, it puts the US’ lack of recognition in a critical light. See Roger Cohen in the NYT for a thorough examination of this issue.
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