Doesn't US talk with Hamas all of the time?

Nope. Jimmy Carter, who was president in the late seventies, talked to them a few weeks ago, and was criticized a lot for it.

Sorry, let me rephrase myself - ever since Hamas became the elected government for the Palestinian Authority, doesn't US talk with it?

Shir, the current administration's policy is to publicly treat Hamas and Hezbollah solely as terrorist organizations. Not to say that there isn't back channel talks somewhere, but if the US President says that the US doesn't talk to terrorists and explicitly lists Hamas and Hezbollah as them, it is hard to make any headway with backchannel talks. Not to say that they don't undertake terrorist activities, but since both aspects of both organizations undertake civil governance roles, it makes it hard for the US to talk about the Gaza Strip.

Historically, the US government has tried to act as a mediator, but the current administration, especially in 2000-2004, has made it very difficult for Middle Eastern countries to believe the US wouldn't gleefully stab anyone in the back without provocation.

As an example about the current US political climate, a Hezbollah representative has said admiring things about Barack Obama, a Democratic party candidate for President, and that "endorsement" is being used to demonize him.

The official line is that the US will be willing to talk with Hamas if they officially renounce violence and recognize Israel. It's never been quite clear how this "We're going to change their minds by not talking to them" thing was supposed to work.

Ah, it's hard to figure out exactly what the US position is, but it seems to be try to deal only with Abbas in the West Bank and try to ignore the Gaza Strip as much as possible...

HOWTO make "rotten shark"

Worried that the uremic acid in the shark you just caught makes it unsuitable for consumption? Try "rotten shark" -- putrefied, buried, dried shark jerky, an Icelandic "delicacy" that is even more fun to read about than it is to eat:

Take one large shark, gut and discard the innards, the cartilage and the head. Cut flesh into large pieces.Wash in running water to get all slime and blood off. Dig a large hole in coarse gravel, preferably down by the sea and far from the nearest inhabited house - this is to make sure the smell doesn't bother anybody. Put in the shark pieces, and press them well together. It's best to do this when the weather is fairly warm (but not hot), as it hastens the curing process. Cover with more gravel and put heavy rocks on top to press down. Leave for 6-7 weeks (in summer) to 2-3 months (in winter). During this time, fluid will drain from the shark flesh, and putrefication will set in.

It's never been quite clear how this "We're going to change their minds by not talking to them" thing was supposed to work.

It's known among political theorists as the "LA LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU" method.

It's never been quite clear how this "We're going to change their minds by not talking to them" thing was supposed to work.

I've always read that policy as "We don't want to talk to Hamas, but we don't want to look like we don't want to talk to Hamas. So if we say 'Oh, we're perfectly happy to talk provided you change your entire philosophy' it puts the burden on them and we look better because, hey...willing to talk."

It's passive-aggressive diplomacy. Well, more passive-aggressive than some other diplomatic efforts.

In Junot Diaz's book he talks about how Dominicans believe the Kennedy family is cursed with fukú because JFK called for the assassination of Trujillo.

Oh yeah! I loved that book.

OK, who else has a Kennedy family curse theory?

Thank you very much for the explanation, CaBil. I'm just quite baffled, since every other headline in the paper is something about the US demanding Israel and Hamas to talk, or you know, something like that. So I just assumed US was also talking with Hamas, after all those Rice visits to the Palestinian Authority where I assume she talked with someone there (though now I understand why Bush didn't go there when he was here).

(Wow, seems like my assumptions are slightly disorganized)