"there may have been people elected that may have been members of Hamas, but
they weren't terrorists. They were people who advocated the importance of
improving the quality of life for people in the region, people in the
Territories. And they were businesspeople, they're professionals. "

Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room - The White House 15 March 2005
www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050315-5.html

...

MR. McCLELLAN: ...in terms of Hezbollah, nothing has changed in terms of our
views. You've heard from administration officials over the weekend; you
heard from the President earlier today...: Hezbollah is a terrorist
organization. Our view has not changed when it comes to that. And 1559 also
calls for all militias to be disarmed. And we want to see 1559 fully
complied with. ...if they renounce terrorism, in your question, and if they
disarm, well, then that does change -- change the dynamic.

...organizations like Hezbollah have to choose, either you're a terrorist
organization or you're a political organization. They remain a terrorist
organization. The President spoke about their past atrocities and their past
terrorist acts in his remarks earlier today.

Now, we've seen, when I talk about experience shows that people tend to
choose leaders who are committed to improving their own livelihood, that are
committed to improving their own security, that are committed to improving
their own -- or expanding prosperity for those people, and one example is
elections that took place in the Palestinian Territories. And you saw that
there may have been people elected that may have been members of Hamas, but
they weren't terrorists. They were people who advocated the importance of
improving the quality of life for people in the region, people in the
Territories. And they were businesspeople, they're professionals.

...Q Scott, an apology if this has been covered already, but one of the
President's comments today with the King of Jordan has made a bit of a
splash in Israel. It's a comment, "Israel must withdraw from the
settlements," not specifying which ones and where. Did the President really
mean all settlements?

MR. McCLELLAN: I thank you for bringing that up. What the President was
referring to was the withdrawal plan that is being pursued by Prime Minister
Sharon, as well as the unauthorized outpost, which the road map calls for
Israel to remove. So that's what he was referring to, what our position is.

...END 2:49 P.M. EST