Ehhh.....

After Jordan's mindboggeling decision to invite a delegation from Hamas over-especially when compared to its decision to kick their leaders out of Jordan a couple of years ago- it only makes sense that Hamas feels more and more assertive in its demands. For example, they just demanded to be removed from the US' terrorist organizations list: A senior Hamas official called on the United States Thursday to remove the militant Islamic group from Washington's list of terrorist organizations and to open a dialogue without preconditions. Moussa Abu Marzook, deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, told The Associated Press the U.S. should deal with Hamas "as it is, and later there could be a dialogue...but there should be no preconditions."

Ahh, ok, so , like, why exactly do they have to remove your terrorist organization from the terrorist organizations list? Have you stopped being a terrorist organization? No! Have you renounced your old terrorist organization ways? NOPE. Are you, in any way, vowing to change your ways if that happens? Didn't think so. So, like, why again should the US do that? But, hold on, that's not all he said: "Hamas is not the only side that wants peace. ...All the Palestinians want peace because they are the only people whose rights have been encroached upon and who have been expelled from their lands," Abu Marzouk said. Ok, stop the presses, Hamas wants peace? What????????? Peace with who?? And since when??? When did that start??? Am I the only one here who is flabbergasted by the utter B.S. that is getting spouted by this guy? Jeeeez... But the israelis are not falling for it, and they are moving accordingly: Israel will clamp down on Palestinian areas, cutting the West Bank off from Gaza, banning Gaza workers from Israel and halting most funding, in a campaign to weaken the violent Hamas as it assumes power. The tough measures emerged from a security meeting Thursday, and acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to sign off on them Friday. Israel's Cabinet is to approve them Sunday and put them into effect immediately — the day after the new, Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament takes office.

And of course Hamas is not happy! Mushir al-Masri, an incoming Hamas lawmaker, condemned the Israeli economic threats. "This is collective punishment on our people," he said. "The world should realize that more pressure on the Palestinian people will create more tension and everyone is going to be a loser, including Israel."

Ohh, so now the collective punishment of a group of people via a boycott of economic goods and suspension of diplomatic ties until the government in power does something it doesn't want to do is bad? Go tell that to Denmark. Oh, wait, I doubt they care about you anymore. I think that started after seeing how fast your people wanted to kill their people over a cartoon, especially after their people supported your people for years. Yeah, that may be it! But, to be fair, this comparison is anything but. After all, the people Denmark did not all support and demand and vote for the publishing of the cartoon, and cartoons never really killed anyone- cartoon protesters do (cartoons don't kill people, Cartoon Pro..nevermind). Hamas, on the other hand, killed many many people, and used young people to kill those people and was yet put in power by the palestinain people. So, like, putting pressure on them- or collectively punishing them- to stop Hamas' people killing ways is actually quite valid or at least understandable, you know, because, like, Hamas kills innocent people, even in times of truce. That's why it's a terrorist organization and until it stops doing that, it will remain a terrorist organization, no matter how many palestinians vote it into power.