Thought of the Day

I haven't had a Thought of the Day for some time now. I have been travelling. After meeting Mr Andel Ilah el Khatib, the foreign minister of Jordan, in Amman, I met Syrian Vice President Farouq Sharaa in Damascus. I also met there with Dr. Ramadan Shallah of Islamic Jihad and Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas. I oppose suicide bombings and have always urged the Palestinians to stop this practice. I once again told Mr. Mashaal that they must declare an end to all suicide bombings. I said that in his office, over dinner, and not from the safety of my office in London. Still, Hamas is a national liberation movement against the Israeli occupation. It is not terrorist; the terrorists are in the Israeli government.
I also had a two-hour private meeting with President Bashar Assad and later consulted in Beirut with the Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, an old friend. I will write what is not off-record material starting tomorrow.
After all my meetings in three Arab capitals I am better informed and more confused than ever.