I COULDN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP IF I TRIED

Hamas "condemns" yesterday's bombings in Iraq.

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has strongly condemned the explosion incidents in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Karbala this morning.

The Movement noted that the blasts occurred while hundreds of unarmed civilians were commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Al-Hussein, may Allah be pleased with him, in the month of Muharram.

Now, lets be sure we understand this. Hamas isn't condemning bombing unarmed civilians...it is condemning the timing of the bombing.

See, Hamas knows quite a bit about bombing unarmed civilians:

Since its formation...(Hamas)...has been involved in over 100 terrorist incidents resulting in the deaths of over 500 people and injuries to more than 3000. The types of attacks conducted by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades have included:

suicide bombings on buses and in crowded markets, nightclubs, and other highly populated places; drive by shootings, at military check points and of civilians at the roadside; and the abduction and murder of Israeli civilians or off duty Israeli soldiers.

Recent major terrorist attacks for which responsibility has been claimed by, or reliably attributed to, Hamas' Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, have included:

the 7 March 2003 shooting of Israeli civilians in Kiriat Arba which killed two people and injured four others;

the 30 April 2003 suicide bomb attack outside a bar ('Mikes Place') in Tel Aviv which killed four people and injured over 60 others, where the bomber was a British citizen;

the 18 May 2003 suicide bombing on a bus near the 'French Hill', Jerusalem, which killed seven people and injured 20 others;

the 19 May 2003 suicide bomb attack at the Amakim mall in Afula, Israel, which killed three people and injured 54 others. Hamas, together with two other groups, claimed responsibility;

the 11 June 2003 suicide bombing on a bus at Jaffa Street in Jerusalem which killed 17 people and injured 105 others;

the 19 August 2003 suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem which killed 21 people and wounded over 100 others. Hamas initially claimed responsibility for this attack (which was also claimed by the Islamic Jihad's al-Quds Brigade) although a senior Hamas official later stated that Hamas was not involved;

and the 9 September 2003 suicide bombings, one at a bus stop near Tel Aviv, the second at a Jerusalem nightspot, which killed 15 people and injured many others.

I'm certain we all feel much better to know these guys have condemned what happened in Iraq yesterday...