HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Robert A. Gleason, Jr. again questioned Democrat Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s judgment after reading the news that one of his Foreign Policy Advisors, Robert Malley, recently admitted he met and remains in contact with the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

“At no time do I believe that any American should ever negotiate with a group that the U.S. State Department has listed as a terrorist organization, so I find it incredibly troubling that a member of Barack Obama’s campaign met with Hamas,” Gleason said.   “Obama will no doubt try to act as if he was surprised by the news that one of his Foreign Policy Advisor’s was meeting with the terrorist group Hamas, but the truth is that Malley has been a vocal supporter of the terrorist group for years.  Hamas is a militant Islamist group that uses violence to intimidate their supporters, doesn’t allow free press to operate, and is actively trying to destroy one of our nation’s closest allies, Israel.

“This news comes just weeks after former President Jimmy Carter, an Obama admirer, took it upon himself to meet with Hamas even though the United States Government and Israel advised against the planned meeting.  After learning of these ties between the Obama’s campaign and Hamas, it is not hard to understand why Hamas is pulling for Barack Obama to win this election, especially when we learn that one of Obama’s advisors has been in regular contact with the extremist group.”

Obama's New Hamas Standard

Obama Finally Cuts Ties With Advisor Who Met With Hamas, So When Will He Cut Ties With Jimmy Carter?

Yesterday, Obama Advisor Robert Malley Was Released From The Obama Campaign For Meeting With Hamas:

The Obama Campaign Cut Ties To Foreign Policy Advisor Robert Malley After He Disclosed That He Had Met With Hamas. "One of Barack Obama's Middle East policy advisers disclosed yesterday that he had held meetings with the militant Palestinian group Hamas - prompting the likely Democratic nominee to sever all links with him. Robert Malley told The Times that he had been in regular contact with Hamas, which controls Gaza and is listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organization." (Tom Baldwin, "Barack Obama Sacks Adviser Over Talks With Hamas," The Times [London, U.K.], 5/9/08)

Malley Has Been Previously Criticized For Urging More Extensive Engagement With Hamas:

"Mr. Malley, In Any Event, Is A Problem Because He Has Been An Advocate For Engagement With Hamas And Defender Of Yasser Arafat Even In The Post-Oslo Period." (Editorial, "Much Ado About Malley," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

·       "Mr. Malley Called For Embracing Hamas When It Won In January 2006 Palestinian Legislative Elections In Which Violence Was Used To Intimidate Voters And In Which No Free Press Was Operating." (Editorial, "Much Ado About Malley," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

Malley Urged Funding For The Hamas Government. "An inflexible approach to the PA would carry other perils. Hamas, searching for a substitute source of funds, might turn to Iran or, convinced that it is being set up for failure, drop its political gambit and return to the familiarity of armed confrontation. Without the leverage of Western funding, without the responsibility to ensure it keeps flowing, Hamas will be less constrained and freer to revert to past practice." (Robert Malley, Op-Ed, "Making The Best Of Hamas' Victory," The [Baltimore] Sun, 2/19/06)

FLASHBACK: Just Last Month, Former President Carter Met With Hamas; Obama Responded, "Why Can't I Just Eat My Waffle":

"Defying Opposition From The Bush Administration And Israel, Former President Jimmy Carter Met For Several Hours Friday Night In Syria With The Exiled Leader Of Hamas, The Militant Islamist Group, To Discuss Efforts To Resolve The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." (Robert F. Worth, "Defying Israel, Carter Meets Hamas Leader," The New York Times, 4/19/08)

·       "'Why Can't I Just Eat My Waffle?' [Obama] Said When Asked About Former President Jimmy Carter's Meeting With Hamas Officials." (Jeff Zeleny and John Broder, "On Eve Of Crucial Primary, Clinton Ad Invokes Bin Laden," The New York Times, 4/22/08)

NOTE: "The Campaign Of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), The Presumptive Republican Nominee, Was Quick To Blast Carter's Plans [To Meet With Hamas] And Called On Both Obama And Clinton To Condemn The Meeting With What The State Department Lists As A Terrorist Group." (Glenn Kessler, "Former President Carter To Meet With Hamas Chief," The Washington Post, 4/10/08)

·       "Both Clinton And Obama Issued Statements With Milder Language, Saying They 'Disagreed' Or Did 'Not Agree' With Carter's Plans."  (Glenn Kessler, "Former President Carter To Meet With Hamas Chief," The Washington Post, 4/10/08)

FLASHBACK: Obama Has Hamas' Backing In The Presidential Election: 

"During An Interview On WABC Radio ... Top Hamas Political Adviser Ahmed Yousef Said The Terrorist Group Supports Obama's Foreign Policy Vision." (Mosheh Oinounou, "A Hamas Problem For Obama?" Fox News' "Cameron's Corner" Blog, foxnews.com, 4/16/08)

·       Yousef: "We don't mind-actually we like Mr. Obama. We hope he will (win) the election and I do believe he is like John Kennedy, great man with great principle, and he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community but not with domination and arrogance..." (Mosheh Oinounou, "A Hamas Problem For Obama?" Fox News' "Cameron's Corner" Blog, foxnews.com, 4/16/08)

"Obama's Chief Strategist, David Axelrod, Said He Was 'Flattered' By The Comparison To JFK..." (Editorial, "Hamas & Obama: Terrorist Flatter," The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 4/21/08)

WEAK JUDGMENT:  HOSTILE LEADERS

Obama Said He Would Meet With Hostile Leaders During His First Year In Office, Including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

At A July 2007 Debate, Obama Didn't Hesitate To Announce He Would Personally Meet With The Leaders Of Iran, North Korea, Syria And Others. Question: "[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries ?"...Obama: "I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous." (CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Charleston, SC, 7/23/07)

Iran Is The "Most Active" State Sponsor Of Terrorism And A "Principle Supporter" Of Hamas And Other Terrorist Groups That Threaten Israel:

The State Department's Recently Released Annual Terrorism Report Says That Iran Is The World's "Most Active" State Sponsor Of Terrorism. "Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism. Elements of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were directly involved in the planning and support of terrorist acts throughout the region and continued to support a variety of groups in their use of terrorism to advance their common regional goals. Iran provides aid to Palestinian terrorist groups, Lebanese Hizballah, Iraq-based militants, and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan ." ("Country Reports On Terrorism," U.S. Department Of State, Office Of The Coordinator For Counterterrorism, 4/30/08)

Iran Is A "Principle Supporter" Of Groups Like Hamas And Has Provided Them "With Extensive Funding, Training, And Weapons." "Iran is a principal supporter of groups that are implacably opposed to the Middle East Peace Process, and continues to maintain a high-profile role in encouraging anti-Israel terrorist activity - rhetorically, operationally, and financially. Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Ahmadinejad praised Palestinian terrorist operations, and Iran provided Lebanese Hizballah and Palestinian terrorist groups, notably HAMAS, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, with extensive funding, training, and weapons." ("Country Reports On Terrorism," U.S. Department Of State, Office Of The Coordinator For Counterterrorism, 4/30/08)

Ahmadinejad Recently Referred To Israel As A "Stinking Corpse" And Said It Was "On Its Way To Annihilation." "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a 'stinking corpse' that was doomed to fail, and warned countries that they would 'burn in the fire of their people's hatred' if they helped Israel, the news agency IRNA reported. 'Today the reason for Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation,' he said in a speech on the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state." (Nazila Fathi, "Iran: A Hate Note On Israel's Birthday," The New York Times, 5/9/08)

·       Ahmadinejad Previously Said Israel Should Be Wiped Off The Map And Denied That The Holocaust Occurred. "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said in the past he wants to wipe Israel off the map and dismissed the Holocaust as a myth." (Nick Wadhams, "Israel: No Greater Threat To World's Values Than The Leaders Of Iran," The Associated Press, 9/21/06)

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