Jinx
May 16, 2008, 8:34pm
1
I only heard about this very recently. Is this fact or media-spun fiction? Did a member of the Obama campaign have ties and/or talks with Hamas? And, was he then asked to leave the Obama camp? Here is one link I found via Google, but I have no knowledge about the source.
Give me just the facts, please.
Jinx
May 17, 2008, 12:27pm
2
Hmm, was I the only one to hear something in passing on CNN about this? Gee, it is surprising the media let this one slide.
It’s true. sort of. But the details reveal it is not nearly as sinister as some will make it out to be:
One of Barack Obama’s Middle East policy advisers disclosed yesterday that he had held meetings with the militant Palestinian group Hamas – prompting the likely Democratic nominee to sever all links with him.
Robert Malley told The Times that he had been in regular contact with Hamas, which controls Gaza and is listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organisation. Such talks, he stressed, were related to his work for a conflict resolution think-tank and had no connection with his position on Mr Obama’s Middle East advisory council.
“I’ve never hidden the fact that in my job with the International Crisis Group I meet all kinds of people,” he added.
Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Mr Obama, responded swiftly: “Rob Malley has, like hundreds of other experts, provided informal advice to the campaign in the past. He has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play any role in the future.” The rapid departure of Mr Malley followed 48 hours of heated clashes between John McCain, the Republican nominee-elect, and Mr Obama over Middle East policy.