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Mark Dodd - The Australian - August 09, 2010
A SENIOR East Timorese government minister wanted to advise the Palestinian militant group Hamas while employed by the World Bank.
Based in the West Bank in 2006, Emilia Pires, a dual Australian citizen, now East Timor's Finance Minister, wrote to a friend saying she wanted to help Palestinians including by meeting Hamas ministers to give them "some real advice".
Details of Ms Pires's attempts to contact Hamas are contained in an email dated December 18, 2006, a copy of which was obtained by The Australian.
Attempts to call Ms Pires were unsuccessful, although an aide in Dili did not deny the email's authenticity.
It reveals Ms Pires's hopes of a promotion and another lucrative UN job and expresses her frustration at not being able to meet Hamas ministers. "Unfortunately I am not accessing Hamas ministers, but I sure wish I could," she writes. "I could give them some real advice, I think -- but maybe it's not the time yet."
The email does not explain why Ms Pires had sought meetings with Hamas ministers but it does indicate a strong willingness on her part to serve as an adviser.
Hamas refuses to recognise the state of Israel and Canberra has named the organisation's military wing as a terrorist entity.
The UN lists Hamas as an entity associated with terrorism and makes it a criminal offence to deal with the organisation.
The international community as a whole has repeatedly demanded that Hamas renounce violence, recognise Israel's right to exist and respect previous agreements between the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and Israel, an Israeli embassy spokeswoman said yesterday.
In 2006, Ms Pires worked as the World Bank's senior official in charge of its West Bank and Gaza offices.
A bank spokeswoman said Ms Pires was not in breach of her contract by attempting to contact Hamas ministers.
She attracted controversy earlier this month over another leaked email in which she supported economic integration with Australia, saying it would ensure the population of the impoverished half-island nation would get three meals a day.
Earlier this year, Canberra expelled a senior Israeli embassy official -- an alleged Mossad spy -- in retaliation for the faking of four Australian passports used in the assassination of a senior Hamas official, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in Dubai in January.
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Mark Dodd - The Australian - August 09, 2010
A SENIOR East Timorese government minister wanted to advise the Palestinian militant group Hamas while employed by the World Bank.
Based in the West Bank in 2006, Emilia Pires, a dual Australian citizen, now East Timor's Finance Minister, wrote to a friend saying she wanted to help Palestinians including by meeting Hamas ministers to give them "some real advice".
Details of Ms Pires's attempts to contact Hamas are contained in an email dated December 18, 2006, a copy of which was obtained by The Australian.
Attempts to call Ms Pires were unsuccessful, although an aide in Dili did not deny the email's authenticity.
It reveals Ms Pires's hopes of a promotion and another lucrative UN job and expresses her frustration at not being able to meet Hamas ministers. "Unfortunately I am not accessing Hamas ministers, but I sure wish I could," she writes. "I could give them some real advice, I think -- but maybe it's not the time yet."
The email does not explain why Ms Pires had sought meetings with Hamas ministers but it does indicate a strong willingness on her part to serve as an adviser.
Hamas refuses to recognise the state of Israel and Canberra has named the organisation's military wing as a terrorist entity.
The UN lists Hamas as an entity associated with terrorism and makes it a criminal offence to deal with the organisation.
The international community as a whole has repeatedly demanded that Hamas renounce violence, recognise Israel's right to exist and respect previous agreements between the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and Israel, an Israeli embassy spokeswoman said yesterday.
In 2006, Ms Pires worked as the World Bank's senior official in charge of its West Bank and Gaza offices.
A bank spokeswoman said Ms Pires was not in breach of her contract by attempting to contact Hamas ministers.
She attracted controversy earlier this month over another leaked email in which she supported economic integration with Australia, saying it would ensure the population of the impoverished half-island nation would get three meals a day.
Earlier this year, Canberra expelled a senior Israeli embassy official -- an alleged Mossad spy -- in retaliation for the faking of four Australian passports used in the assassination of a senior Hamas official, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, in Dubai in January.
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4 comentários:
Hamas is a terrorist organization......shame on you Ms Pires. The people of Timor-Leste, of which you allegedly love so much, refused to embrace terrorism in any way during their struggle. And you want to advise a terrorist organization?
I am one of Timorese student disagree regarding initiative of Minister of finance to offer aid to Palestina......Ms Pires before you step to accomplish what you said,you have to observed the people of Timor Leste who still live under poor line,they need and want to feel the significant of the liberation....till now they are waiting government program to gain want they deserved to.......
Love of Timorese people is high prise for their beloved country this crocodile island.....why Timor Leste eager to help other country while their people stiil safer...???????
By Moko rai nain Timor.
The news headline is a very misleading one! Ms Pires' attempt to contact Hamas leadership was done while she was an UN employee! An as UN employee it was not against the UN's prerrogatives.
She is now the Finance Minister but her attempt was not in the name os East-Timor. Get your hedline right! There is no need to create unnecessary hatreat!
She was an UN employee and therefore was entitled to do what she was there too do!
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