US Diplomatic Deja Vu

Do you sense something deja vu in reading this?

Q.  ...when you announced that the peace process, the talks, would be ongoing, Hamas came out and said they pledged more violence. Based on your meetings...do you think he is capable or willing to stop the violence coming from Hamas?

A. ...I think what he has to do is exert 100 percent effort to try to stop the violence. It's very hard to guarantee 100 percent results, but we expect 100 percent effort. I have say that, since I was there, we have seen some steps forward in his work to try to limit terrorism and work at the infrastructure of Hamas. There have been some positive steps. Those have been recognized by Israel.

Q.  Yet recently, at a unity rally, he was seen embracing the leader of Hamas. How can, on one hand, he say he's looking for serious peace and, on the other hand, embrace the leader of the organization that has vowed to end the peace process.

A.  Well, that was then, and I spoke to him about that. I think, since that time, he has taken some steps. He has to take more steps, because it's very hard to expect anybody to exist -- the Israelis, for instance -- to live under the threat of terrorism. Something has to be done in order to stop the violence, and we have pressed...to do that.

You should.  It's not from yesterday.

It's from an interview with then Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright with Matt Lauer on The Today Show - NBC TV on October 1, 1997:

MR. LAUER: As you know, when you announced that the peace process, the talks, would be ongoing, Hamas came out and said they pledged more violence. Based on your meetings with Yasser Arafat, do you think he is capable or willing to stop the violence coming from Hamas?

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: I think what he has to do is exert 100 percent effort to try to stop the violence. It's very hard to guarantee 100 percent results, but we expect 100 percent effort.  I have say that, since I was there, we have seen some steps forward in his work to try to limit terrorism and work at the infrastructure of Hamas. There have been some positive steps. Those have been recognized by Israel.

MR. LAUER: Yet recently, at a unity rally, he was seen embracing the leader
of Hamas. How can, on one hand, he say he's looking for serious peace and, on the other hand, embrace the leader of the organization that has vowed to end the peace process.

SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Well, that was then, and I spoke to him about that. I think, since that time, he has taken some steps. He has to take more steps, because it's very hard to expect anybody to exist -- the Israelis, for instance -- to live under the threat of terrorism.  Something has to be done in order to stop the violence, and we have pressed Arafat to do that.

Can someone remind them that a Hamas-Fatah Unity government was tried --- and failed?

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