Smurf-Herder
02-01-2009, 01:39 PM
Well, whadda' ya' know.
Hamas leader meets Iran's Khamenei
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal met with Iran's supreme leader on Sunday, and provided Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a detailed account of Hamas' "victory" over Israel in Gaza, according to Iranian media reports.
Meshaal arrived in Tehran on Sunday for his first visit to the country since Israel's recent military offensive on Gaza, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency and Fars News Agency.
Meshaal -- who lives in exile in Damascus, Syria -- is the head of Hamas, which rules the Palestinian territory of Gaza. Hamas has claimed victory over Israeli forces, saying the Jewish state failed to destroy its ability to fire rockets at southern Israel. But Israel has said it achieved its goals in Gaza, which was to change the security situation for the south.
Earlier in the day, Meshaal met with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, and is scheduled to meet later with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to the reports.
Iran has been supportive of Hamas during and since the 22-day Israeli military operation, which ended more than a week ago after Israeli forces pulled out of Gaza. Tehran held a day of mourning for the Palestinian victims, and protested the Israeli operation.
But U.S. and Israeli officials have accused Iran of providing weapons, training and cash to Hamas militants in Gaza.
Israel said its goal was to stop militants in the territory from firing rockets on southern Israel. But Palestinian militants on Sunday fired four rockets into Israel -- in violation of the cease-fire -- and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised a "sharp Israeli response."
Some analysts have said that Israel was sending a message to Hezbollah when it launched its military offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Iran and Syria are key supporters of Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/01/iran.hamas/
Hamas leader meets Iran's Khamenei
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal met with Iran's supreme leader on Sunday, and provided Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a detailed account of Hamas' "victory" over Israel in Gaza, according to Iranian media reports.
Meshaal arrived in Tehran on Sunday for his first visit to the country since Israel's recent military offensive on Gaza, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency and Fars News Agency.
Meshaal -- who lives in exile in Damascus, Syria -- is the head of Hamas, which rules the Palestinian territory of Gaza. Hamas has claimed victory over Israeli forces, saying the Jewish state failed to destroy its ability to fire rockets at southern Israel. But Israel has said it achieved its goals in Gaza, which was to change the security situation for the south.
Earlier in the day, Meshaal met with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, and is scheduled to meet later with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to the reports.
Iran has been supportive of Hamas during and since the 22-day Israeli military operation, which ended more than a week ago after Israeli forces pulled out of Gaza. Tehran held a day of mourning for the Palestinian victims, and protested the Israeli operation.
But U.S. and Israeli officials have accused Iran of providing weapons, training and cash to Hamas militants in Gaza.
Israel said its goal was to stop militants in the territory from firing rockets on southern Israel. But Palestinian militants on Sunday fired four rockets into Israel -- in violation of the cease-fire -- and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised a "sharp Israeli response."
Some analysts have said that Israel was sending a message to Hezbollah when it launched its military offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza. Iran and Syria are key supporters of Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/01/iran.hamas/