http://standpointmag.co.uk Welcome to the Standpoint magazine, the culture and politics monthly en /node/1690 <!--paging_filter--><p><strong>BY ALEXANDER MELEAGROU-HITCHENS</strong>  </p><p>I have <a href="http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=94544">recently</a> <a href="http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&amp;categ_id=5&amp;article_id=101448">written</a> about the British government's misguided strategy of seeking to engage with Hamas and Hezbollah, in the hope that this will coax them into moderation.  This debate was re ignited in May of this year when junior Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell <a href="http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsroom/latest-news/?view=Speech&amp;id=17700856">stated</a> in Parliament that the government was &quot;exploring the possibility of limited and considered contacts&quot; with Hezbollah's ‘political wing'.  <p><a href="/node/1690"><span>read more</span></a></p> /node/1690#comments David Miliband Foreign Office Hamas Hizbullah Iran Iraq Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:59:05 +0100 Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens 1690 at http://standpointmag.co.uk