Whatever happened to moral clarity?

Am I the only one who finds it morally repulsive to read that US State Department officials are expressing their support for Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah organization in a public? Ha’aretz:

American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to underline the United States' support for him and his allies in the fighting between his Fatah party and the rival Hamas raging in the Gaza Strip.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the call essentially was to "talk to him about the current situation, the situation as he saw it, and to underline the United States' support for Abbas, for the Palestinian moderates who have made the commitment to working with the Israeli government and working with countries around the world on the issue of peace in the Middle East."

Let us not forget the moderate words, of a moderate Palestinian leader ‘who has made the commitment to working with the Israeli government and working with countries around the world on the issue of peace in the Middle East.’ Taken from the Jerusalem Post -January 2007:

"When Fatah was established, it was accused of treason and we were chased in every place," Abbas told the crowd. "But with the will and determination of its sons, Fatah has and will continue. We will not give up our principles and we have said that rifles should be directed against the occupation."

Or if that isn’t clear enough for you – how about this:

"We have a legitimate right to direct our guns against Israeli occupation.”

Of course, I have never forgotten this picture of those moderate Fatah security forces type in action under the Ramallah sun.