News and Commentary on Arab Women, Palestine, Cultural Politics, and Everything in Between
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Tuesday, June 19, 2007
One Hundred Days of Solitude
Alan Johnston
3 comments:
James Stanhope
said...
Perhaps someone who is familiar with Gaza can explain why Hamas, which has just routed Fatah, cannot exert sufficient pressure to secure Johnston's release. I know that Johnston's captors, in kidnapping a leading BBC correspondent, are holding a trump card, but does that mean they can defy Hamas at will? Is Hamas covertly trying to pressure the Israelis to release Palestinian prisoners, as I think Johnston's captors have demanded? Hamas must know that Israel will not give Hamas that kind of victory, so what does Hamas have to gain from allowing Johnston's captivity (if that is what Hamas is doing). How can Hamas "control" Gaza if they cannot control criminal gangs or individual clans?
It is predictable that Hamas is trying to use Johnston to promote its power: as soon as they took power, they wanted to show that they can do what Abbas couldn't and that under their regime there will be law and order. If they release Johnston, they will milk that politically till the end of days. I should say that as long as he's released unharmed it doesn't matter to me what game they're playing.
whatever game is being played, the players look so pathetic and insignificant (even though they're famished for spilling blood) that it seems to me that the game plays them: it is getting out of control, hijacked by other games and other bigger plays.
3 comments:
Perhaps someone who is familiar with Gaza can explain why Hamas, which has just routed Fatah, cannot exert sufficient pressure to secure Johnston's release. I know that Johnston's captors, in kidnapping a leading BBC correspondent, are holding a trump card, but does that mean they can defy Hamas at will? Is Hamas covertly trying to pressure the Israelis to release Palestinian prisoners, as I think Johnston's captors have demanded? Hamas must know that Israel will not give Hamas that kind of victory, so what does Hamas have to gain from allowing Johnston's captivity (if that is what Hamas is doing). How can Hamas "control" Gaza if they cannot control criminal gangs or individual clans?
It is predictable that Hamas is trying to use Johnston to promote its power: as soon as they took power, they wanted to show that they can do what Abbas couldn't and that under their regime there will be law and order. If they release Johnston, they will milk that politically till the end of days. I should say that as long as he's released unharmed it doesn't matter to me what game they're playing.
whatever game is being played, the players look so pathetic and insignificant (even though they're famished for spilling blood) that it seems to me that the game plays them: it is getting out of control, hijacked by other games and other bigger plays.
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