WHITE HOUSE CONTRADICTS RICE: HAMAS ARE TERRORISTS, NOT "RESISTANCE"

Spokeswoman calls Hamas 'terrorists' (WND)
The White House has contradicted Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's recent descriptions of Hamas as a "resistance" group by labeling it a terrorist organization.

The confirmation came from White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, who had been asked about the coming Middle East summit conference in Annapolis, which officials hope will lead to development of plans for a Palestinian state in the Middle East.

"Given that the president has repeatedly said that it's vital that the Palestinians acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state, and Saeb Erekat yesterday … refused to acknowledge that very basic fact…" the question began.

"There has been a lot of increasing chatter as we've moved up towards the hopeful date of this meeting. Secretary Rice has been in the region several times, and Steve Hadley has been there, as well. We are working with the parties in order to bring them along to establish a feeling for a meeting that could actually result in a substantive core list of issues that can be worked on in order to get to a Palestinian state. We believe that we are nearly there. And because Secretary Rice is going to the region later this week so that she can help bring them along, let's just let that process play out, because I think that there is good intention on all sides," Perino said.

"But even – I mean, we know the issues that are on the list, we know what the final status issues are, but if there's this very basic refusal to acknowledge a country's right to exist as a Jewish state, how can the parties even talk?" the reporter continued.

"Well, I think that we should hear from President [Mahmoud] Abbas [of the Fatah organization] before making further judgments," Perino said.

Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House, then raised the issue of the other organization, Hamas, which took over Gaza from Abbas' Fatah organization and now runs it.

"What about Hamas? Do you really think that Hamas is going to recognize the existence of Israel?" he asked.

"Obviously, Hamas is a terrorist organization and it's just…" Perino said.

"And they rule the – they rule the Gaza Strip, don't they?" Kinsolving asked.

"Well, it's unfortunate – for the way that the – for the individuals that are living under that rule and in Gaza, it is quite a serious situation. We are helping provide – to provide humanitarian relief, and we would like for that region to be able to return to a situation where they can try to…" she said.

"But Hamas is not going to recognize the existence of Israel?" Kinsolving asked.

"I'll let them speak for themselves, but I think they have a track record that would lead you to that conclusion," she said.