Regarding U.S. dialogue with Hamas, the State Department has several times iterated a set of preconditions: Hamas must first recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
Iran Gives Syria Non-Conventional Weapons
Iran has passed non-conventional weapons to Syria for possible use in the event that the regime of Bashar al-Assad faces imminent collapse, according to knowledgeable Middle Eastern security officials.
The information comes as Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters last week that the Syrian government seems to have slowed any preparations for the possible use of chemical weapons against so-called rebels fighting Assad’s forces.
Last week, members of the Al Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra, which makes up the top leadership of the rebel fighters, reportedly seized control of the Syrian-Saudi Chemicals Company factory near the Syrian town of Safira.
A YouTube video even purported to show Syrian rebels testing chemical weapons, although the veracity of the video is in question.