Hamastan - The Newest Country

Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization known for its radical, fundamentalist adherence to Islam, has won a surprising upset victory in the recent Palestinian elections. The opposition Fatah Party which had been in power, as well as the rest of the world, was shocked by Hamas' clear majority win.

This does not bode well for any hopes of an Israeli/Palestinian peace agreeement. Hamas is intractable in its calls for the destruction of Israel - they don't even recognize Israel as a state.

Only one of two things will come out of the Hamas victory. Either Hamas, in power now, will further extend its aggression & terror against Israel while enforcing further radical Islamic policy on its own Palestinian people, or Hamas will find itself suddenly in the ironic position of moderation as a necessity of retaining the power they have now. The Fatah Party is no friend to Hamas & we expect armed violence between the two groups. Meanwhile, the Palestinian people will continue to suffer under corruption, mismanagement & self-interest of those in control.

On a broader scale, Iran, with its lunatic President, will certainly try to take advantage of this change in Palestinian leadership to further its antipathy towards Israel.

The Middle East has just become a more dangerous place. President Bush was right in stating that he will not deal with a Hamas-led Palestine as long as it refuses to recognize Israel's right to existence. Nor will he allow a lunatic-led Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Hamastan & Iran, the U.S. & Israel - juxtaposed for a coming conflict.