Two middleastern newspapers claim that Barack Obama did meet with Hamas. The Jerusalem Post and Ha'aretz both report that Hamas said it met with Obama advisers in the Gaza strip before last Tuesdays elections. They claim that first contact was established over the internet.

The Arab daily Al-Hayat on Tuesday quoted a senior Hamas official as saying that United States President-elect Barack Obama’s advisers met with members of the Palestinian militant group before the U.S. presidential election.

Ahmed Yusuf, a political advisor to Hamas’ Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh, reportedly told the London-based paper that, “The connection was made via email and after that we met with them in Gaza.”

Al-Hayat reported that Yusuf also said the relations were maintained after Obama’s electoral victory last Tuesday. He said the president-elect’s advisors requested that the relations be kept secret so as not to aid his rival, Senator John McCain.

Obama has claimed that he will not meet with Hamas until the renouce terrorism (but why will he meet with Venezula, Cuba, N. Korea, and Iran?). If this story is true that Barack Obama has blantantly lied to the American public during the campaign. Is the story true though? I doubt it, Obama fired an aide once it was known that he had met with Hamas before coming onto the Obama Team.

I think this is nothing more than Hamas doing what they always do, inlfate their importance  and try to gain grounds with Arab newspapers.