Mubarak's "wishful thinking"

Gregg Carlstrom | July 8, 2009 4:45 PM | 0 | recommend (0) |   |      

Yesterday, Hosni Mubarak said Gilad Shalit is in good condition and should be released soon.

Today, Hamas said Mubarak had no idea what he was talking about.

In Gaza, Hamas negotiator Osama al-Muzaini said Mubarak's comment was meant for "public relations consumption" and reflected his "wishful thinking." He said "nobody knows if Schalit is dead or alive," except for his captors.

The subtext here is that Hamas doesn't want Mubarak speaking on its behalf. There's been a lot of bad blood between them over the last few years, mostly stemming from Mubarak's decision to close the Rafah crossing in June 2007.

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Categories: Diplomacy, Egypt, Israel & Palestine, Regional News

Tags: Gaza Strip, Gilad Shalit, Hamas, Hosni Mubarak

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