Sue, Again; And Condi Admits Hamas is Guilty

Remember my comment on Sue's inability to get her geography right?

Well, she plows ahead on another subject with Condi Rice:

Yes, Sue.

QUESTION: Where does this fit in with the general, sort of, ceasefire agreement? How much longer do you think that Israel is going to continue pounding Gaza? I mean, the death toll is already above a thousand people who have been killed. So could you put this in the context of a larger agreement?

SECRETARY RICE: Well, you know that we have wanted to have an immediate and durable ceasefire, and we’ve been working aggressively toward that goal. [Condi's still aggressive, eh?] We are hoping that as the elements of durability [there's a buzz word. Bill Safire, where are you?] begin to come into place that the need for continued operations can cease. We know that, after all, Hamas is responsible for this. They’re the ones who refuse to extend the Egyptian ceasefire, the Egyptian tahadiya, and we are – the front line of this – the U.S. effort is, I think, important here, but the front line, of course, is what the Egyptians are trying to do in their mediation. We’ve been in very close contact with them as well as with the Israelis and with others, and hope that that effort is bearing fruit. But we see this as supportive of that effort.