Oh. Darling little Hamas. Tears. Real tears can be heard welling up behind the splutterings of M. Douste-Blazy, France's Foreign Minister and Pollyanna.

FRANCE HAILS HAMAS REAX [SIC] TO EGYPT BLAST AS 'FIRST'

PARIS April 25, 2006 (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Tuesday hailed Hamas' firm condemnation of the attacks on the Egyptian resort of Dahab as a "first" for the Palestinian Islamist group.

"This is a major foreign policy step. It is the first time that Hamas has voiced a condemnation of this type," Douste-Blazy told France 2 television.

"Not only has this attack been condemned by Israel, by Mahmud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, but also — for the first time — by Hamas," he said. The Hamas-led Palestinian government condemned Monday's bomb attacks, which killed 23 people, as a "criminal act which flouts our religion, shakes Palestinian national security and works against Arab interests".

What Hamas is saying in so many words is that Jews were not the primary victims. Blowing up non-Jewish Britons, Germans, Russians, Italians, South Koreans. Belgians, and, yes, even Americans makes for bad television that's sure to make the 6:00 news in countries where Hamas has reservoirs of support.

M. Douste-Blazy's gush is akin to congratulating a wife-beater for disapproving of his neighbor's wife-beating.

France last week voiced regret at Hamas' failure to condemn a suicide bombing carried out by Islamic Jihad, which killed nine people [two of whom were French nationals and injuring a third] in Tel Aviv.

The AFP here suggests a reluctant or silent Hamas. But Hamas had something to say about the bombing:

Asked about Monday's bombing, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said, "the resistance is a legal and natural reaction to the Israeli crimes, and the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves."

Khaled Abu Hilal, a spokesman for the Palestinian Interior Ministry, said the bombing was "a direct result of the aggression of the Israeli occupation policy. The Israelis are imposing a siege on the Palestinian people."

Support and excuses for terrorism deserve something more than "regret". Hamas should be condemned. But France just can't manage it.

Perhaps after M. le Ministre has sponged up his weepy joy, he can give us the French position on the below Hamas position:

'JEWS ARE OUR ENEMY. I WILL PULL THE TRIGGER WHENEVER REQUIRED'

GAZA CITY April 4, 2006 (Telegraph) - In his first interview with a British newspaper since his controversial appointment as Hamas's "iron glove" last week, [Jamal] Abu Samhadana, 43, revealed his ambitions for the paramilitary force under his control.

"This will be the nucleus of the future Palestinian army," he said. "The resistance must continue."

Abu Samhadana was speaking only days after nine Israelis were killed by a Palestinian suicide bomber. ... For his part, the new commander-in-chief remained defiant and gave no sign that he would seek to rein in future attacks.

He told The Sunday Telegraph: "We have only one enemy. They are Jews. We have no other enemy. I will continue to carry the rifle and pull the trigger whenever required to defend my people."

His allies had feared that he might moderate his stance on Israel after his elevation. "Our main worry was about whether we would keep up the resistance with him in such a high-profile position," one lieutenant admitted. They were now reassured, he added.

It's not as if Hamas makes a secret of being a terrorist organization.

PFFT (What is this?): Swooning girly-ism 3 | Gushing over terrorists 4 | Rayonnement français 0