(CNN) - The former U.S. special envoy to the Middle East said Tuesday that President-elect Barack Obama should engage with Hamas under certain conditions, and sooner rather than later.
Retired Gen. Anthony Zinni said if Obama hopes to forge a peace deal, he needs to do it at the beginning of his administration.
"You make a commitment that no matter what happens, you'll stick with it," Zinni said on CNN's "American Morning." "We have enough agreements in principle that never worked out. I would say - start from the beginning, be determined, stick with it and don't repeat the mistakes of the past and the processes of the past that did not work."
In order for the new administration to engage with Hamas, Zinni said the militant group must be willing to end its rocket attacks and violence against Israel and commit to a peace process.
In the long term, Zinni said, the next administration will have to take a new approach in dealing with the problem.
"The old way of using envoys and summits and us putting plans on the table - that has never worked. I think we need a fresh start, more involved, a greater presence on the ground and a commitment to do it throughout the term of an administration," Zinni said.
From CNN Politics
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Apparently negotiating with terrorists is fine with some people
EW ...your talking about carrying a "big stick" ......we can't carry one anymore.....we are spread too thin.....(2 wars) not to mention that it's been going on since 2003.....and over 4000 lost lives.....and growing..
If Putin wants to start a war with us, we won't be able to win one, with anyone, as a matter of fact....even if Iran would threaten us, we could not do anything about it.....we are too weak, as a nation....
The united states is the most vulnerable during a transition period..
between outgoing & incoming administrations.
Houston, Texas
It is not the matter of how many rockets are fired into Israel... But from where??? Not Civilian, Roof-Top Dwellings. But thats what they are doing.... Rat's.....Vermin!
I wonder why people of the world will continue to blame isreal no matter what. Is the hatred for Isreal that bad?! Any sane person who understand the palestine demograph will understand that what transpired there is simply unacceptable.
Palestine has a legitimate govt, yet there exist a militant group, Hamas, that is extremely popular and act unilaterally on its own regardless what the people and govt of palestine think. Hamas started this war, and it is common knowledge that they have their base within the civilian population thus providing human shield for any attack. Why is UN and govts of the world address this. If you have your base with civilian population you cannot engage in any aggression against other nations because of consequences of reprisal attacks which the palestinian people are currently suffering.
Hamas role in palestinian politics is dangerous to Palestine and the whole of middle east. That is what should be addressed. How can a legitimate govt of a country, allow a milltitant group to do as they like and will rather blame another country when they suffer from excesses of such militant group. All these beat me.
Obama to Hammas: Recognize Israel's right to exist as a legitimate state, then we talk.
PEBO needs the balls of Blago but he is an equivocator!
David Goldman December 30th, 2008 12:05 pm ET
PEBO HAS DONE MORE FOR THIS COUNTRY SINCE HE GOT ELECTED . . .
____________________
Like WHAT, David Goldman/Dr. Mimi De La Cruz/Venus - ??????????
Gee GRIFF:
I know that we have freedom of speech in this country but that is not the same as STUPIDITY of SPEECH.
David Goldman December 30th, 2008 12:05 pm ET
PEBO HAS DONE MORE FOR THIS COUNTRY
SINCE HE GOT ELECTED THAN THE GUY SITTING
IN THE WHITE HOUSE FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS.
HOWEVER THERE IS A LIMIT TO WHAT HE CAN
DO UNTIL HE IS SWORE IN.
________________________________________________
You are an idiot
About the 200 to 300 hundred rockets shot into Israel over the last 2 years did any of you wisecracks actually check how many Israelis died?........3 yes realy just 3 thats it! Now compare to the now 4 day bombings on Palestine 350+ have already left the planet. Before anybody comments on that "they were all terrorists" News channels all over the world state that only 15% were actually Hamas card carriers. That means that the rest were civs. I might be probably ignorant for all the muslim haters, but if a kid in my neighbourhood trew a rock at another neigbourhood and that entire neighbourhood came over the lines and burned and bombed my neigbourhood.....I would call that barbaric no matter how self rightous you might think you are
What in the name of God Israel has accomplished the last 4 days. They killed over 400 palestinians, disrupted the whole world, and still they haven't finish the job. If Israel wants to go after Hamas, they need to go to them. Pick them one at a time, gather all of them and bring them back to Israel, and there put them in jail. They like roaches, if you smoke them out, they'll hide and come back later. You have to step on them. I don't think Israel has learned its lesson when they were in lebanon. Their air force did a terrific job, but as soon as they send the army, there they had their casualties. All these people dead for nothing. They have the weapons , but no brains. They trigger happy, you can say about them.
Hey Obama I am waiting on my check! My mortgage payment it due and I need gas in my car.
hamas will not stop until Israel is destroyed. Israel should relocate them all out of Gaza. Also force the rest of the Palestinians into Syria. The Jews have so little land as it is….. give them their country!
This middle east fighting between countries remind me of our fighting between RED and BLUE, DEMOCRAT and REPUBLICAN. These problems have been going on for too long and need to be resolved for the better of ALL. I have been part of it at times and I AM SORRY. We as Americans need to join hand and some how meet in the middle!!! OUR COUNTRY IS IN DIRE NEED FOR UNITY NOW MORE THAN EVER. PLEASE HAVE RESTRAINT IN ATTACKING OTHER PEOPLES POINT OF VIEW. The past is the past, lets move forward now and bring OUR COUNTRY BACK TO GREATNESS. GOD BLESS ALL
Obama will make the right choices.Guess who Richard Rohde, really is?Could it be Anne Coulter hiding behind that screen?I laugh at these names she comes up with.She has been a blogging freak all her childhood.
everybody needs to look at history. Ally or not Israel has systematically moved into palestinian areas and cleared them out. The Jews are doing to the Palestinians exactly what the Germans did to them. Racially cleansing the area to make more room for themselves.
Palestinians have every right to demand their territory back. I do not think commiting acts of terror is right – but I cant blame them for wanting what is theirs back.
This problem was caused by the US and others that decided to create Israel as a state within Palestinian territory. Just like Charlie Wilson and his war helped to create Al Quaeda to fight off the Russians.
looks like whatever we do comes back to bite us. maybe we should learn from this and just stay out of things in the future.
I think sending the humanitarian will help HAMAS and their SUPPORTERS to fill up their tummies and make them more stronger to lift up more ROCKETS .
To Ted:Canada – Maybe it's time for oour Northern Neighbors to Cowboy-Up instead of sitting back and telling the U.S. how to do it.