Erlanger adds new layers to the Augean Stables. In an
audio report available at the NYT with accompanying pictures (which in their own way contradict his analysis), Erlanger manages to repeat all of the tritest tropes of Hamas demopathy as if this were real reporting. The guys not stupid. What’s up? (Hat tip: David Sobel)

I have transcribed the finale:

Hamas being now in sole control may be able to provide the poor people of Gaza with more security and even jobs and investment than Fatah was able to do. Hamas may live up to the responsibility of viewing the people of Gaza and all of their problems in a way that tries to show the rest of the Muslim world that radical Islam works. That is the thing that the US and Israel must be most worried about. It’s a very dicey strategy but Israel and the US are searching for short and medium term responses to a collapse neither saw coming, and both are eager to limit the impact of this latest victory of radical Islam over Western-backed secular forces.

I don’t know where to begin. If he had just showed up at the scene this would be incompetent at best. But he’s seen the last months merciless murder. He (presumably) has read Hamas’ Charter. He knows just how vicious Hamas can be in the implementation of those goals, even to their fellow Muslims who get in the way. But it’s as if he’s listening to Ahmed Youssef has to say, and regurgitated it. Could Hamas ask for better PR?

So now what Israel and the US fear most is that Hamas will “make a go of it” and show the world how radical Islam can do better running a country than corrupt Arab regimes. Not that they will continue to spread their Jihadi violence everywhere so as to cover up the stench of their dystopian failures to implement Sharia. How did he come to this startling conclusion? Because the other efforts to implement Sharia by groups who use terror to gain power have such a stellar track record — Taliban, Shiite Iran, Sudan?

And I especially like his Oslo-logic PCP reference to Fatah as “secular.”

With journalists like this, no wonder we don’t have a clue.