American dignitaries met this week in Beirut with senior members of the Palestinian terror organization Hamas, according to a report in the London-based daily Al-Quds Al-‘Arabi.
The rare meeting took place on Monday and Tuesday and included leaders of Hamas and American notables close to decision-making circles. The report said a former officer in the British intelligence forces arranged the meeting, attended by Hamas leaders as well as representatives from the Lebanese Hizbullah terrorist organization, and Islamic Jihad in Lebanon and in Pakistan.
All these organizations are designated by the United States State Department as terrorist organizations.
The American delegation, according to the report, included members of both the Republican and the Democratic parties, a former adviser to the secretary of state, a former head of the CIA in Kabul and a member of a society for Vietnam veterans acquainted with John Kerry and Hilary Clinton.
The report said the meeting was also attended by former European diplomats, including a former British ambassador to Syria.
The report said that although the meeting was unofficial, it would not have taken place without a green light from the American administration. Participants said they intended to draw up a report on their impressions from the meeting and submit it to officials of the U.S. administration, the CIA and to European governments.
Preparations for this meeting have been underway for more than six months, the report said, and it was supervised by a center for conflict studies which was established by former British intelligence officer Alistair Crook and Dr. Beverly Milton Edwards. It said Crook established strong relationships with Islamic organizations in the past and he is now trying to use these connections, especially with Hamas, to build bridges and eventually hold similar workshops in the U.S. and in Europe.
A European participant said the Europeans are convinced that a hudna, or temporary cease-fire, cannot succeed without engaging in talks. Organizers of the meeting said they plan to follow up with similar gatherings in the future and that the next meeting is planned to take place in Asia.