 Khaled Mishaal, political bureau chairman of the Hamas Movement, told a press conference in Doha a couple of days ago that pressures on Syria might negatively affect his Movement. Mishaal described pressures on Syria as "worrisome" and added that the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafiq Al-Hariri also raised concern and carried negative repercussions on Hamas. Asked whether Hamas would get out of Syria, he said that his Movement maintained presence in various countries whether announced or otherwise.
| Which doesn't answer the question of whether they're going to get out of Syria... |
He affirmed that Hamas' relations with the Arab countries were good and added, "Our presence was no burden on anyone but it only attracted the oppressive American pressures".
| "But that's not a burden..." |
Over a year ago Palestinian officials based in Damascus maintained a low key following the USA's pressures on Syria to restrict what it called the presence of "extremist" Palestinian organizations on its territory. Mishaal further said that his Movement would not give up the resistance weapons, and said that if the PA security forces used arms against the people then their weapons would be illegitimate. The Hamas leader described as a "wrong step" the return of the Jordanian and Egyptian ambassadors to Tel Aviv and criticized the visit of rabbi Mikhail Melchior to Qatar. He urged the Arab countries not to resume relations or establish new ties with the "Zionist entity". |