Thursday August 2, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

The Middle East and Russia - Diplomacy 101.

Just hours after Russia hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas announced that Russia had invited a Hamas delegation to Moscow.
Twelve hours earlier, back in Moscow, Putin had told Abbas that Russia was down scaling their relationship with Hamas and that Abbas was seen as the "legitimate leader of the Palestinian people."

This is how Russia plays the game.
The Russians don't choose one side against the other - they play both sides. The Russians need to know that they always have contacts and entree to both sides just in case something happens, just in case they might need it.

Russia not only plays, Russia pays.
Russia is a sponsor and a supporter of "friends in need."
Abbas and Hamas are just two of many examples of Russian largesse.

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