December 4, 2006 Clip No. 1336
Ahmad Yousuf, Political Advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, Reveals Hamas Relations with the IRA
Following are excerpts from an interview with Ahmad Yousuf, political advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister Isma'il Haniya, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on December 4, 2006.
Ahmad Yousuf: All our meetings [with the IRA] were productive, and most of all the meeting held in Ireland, where we met the leaders of Sinn Fein, which is the political branch of the IRA. We had a long dialogue with them. We were hosted by their top leaders. We held this dialogue with them, and they tried to pass on their experience to us, because they have been struggling since 1920, when they began talking... After many years of armed resistance, they began a peaceful dialogue with the British.
Interviewer: There is some similarity...
Ahmad Yousuf: We wanted to learn from their experience. They tried to explain to us their circumstances, and how they succeeded in managing the conflict - through resistance, and later through political talks, and negotiations, which culminated in an understanding with the British. The Irish people accepted it, and thus, peace was realized between Britain and them. This experience was useful to us, and we drew many lessons from it. They explained everything, and expressed their willingness to maintain contact. They will pass on their experience in struggle and politics to the Palestinians, or else we will go there again to take in the atmosphere over there. They were very cooperative, because of the "historical affinity" between us, as they put it – or historical fondness or warm relations.
[...]
Interviewer: So it could be said that this visit was successful, and achieved the goals you set for it?
Ahmad Yousuf: Yes, I believe so. This was the first visit, and other meetings will follow soon, Allah willing, in order to complete the talks with the British. They – especially Blair and his government, the Labor Party – want Britain to fulfill an essential role in the current conflict, because Britain bears some of the historical responsibility for what happened to the Palestinians. Tony Blair wants to leave this position having done something for the sake of the Palestinians. In addition, after becoming entangled in Iraq, and considering the expected defeat of the British-American presence in Iraq, Britain wants to do something...
Interviewer: To save its honor...
Ahmad Yousuf: No, Britain, in particular, wants to regain some respect in the region, because it has strategic interests in the Middle East and the Islamic world. Its image has been tarnished and distorted, and has grown closer to the image of the hated Americans in the region. Britain is smarter than America, and more knowledgeable about the region and its politics. It wants to play a role, in order to restore its image and dignity in the region.
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