[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6625]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HAMAS MERGER

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, the news that Osama bin Laden had been 
killed by U.S. forces on Sunday brought reassurance to many around the 
world that justice had finally been served. A man responsible for the 
deaths of thousands of innocent people of all races and religions had 
been located and eliminated. However, not everyone saw it the same way.
  Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas in Gaza, called bin Laden a sheikh 
and said, ``We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab 
holy warrior.'' This comes the same week that Palestinian political 
parties Hamas and Fatah have reconciled and formed a unity government.
  How can the United States provide aid to a unity government if one of 
its most important leaders praises a mass murderer? How can Israel 
negotiate treaties with a government composed of a party that is 
actively seeking its destruction?
  There cannot be true peace as long as Hamas holds up Osama bin Laden 
and other terrorists as heroes. The Palestinian people must recognize 
that hatred and terrorism will never bring them true peace and true 
independence.

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