The news from Hamas is not good though the battle between Iran and the Egyptian Brotherhood for the soul of Hamas has only just begun. They are feeling their oats and the results maybe serious. First, watch their post election ad running on PA TV. Then, consider this interview in Arabic on Egyptian TV:

Senior Hamas leader, Moussa Abu Marzouk:"We say that all of Palestine, from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, belongs to the Palestinians."

The interviewer:"That's the voice directed at your own people, while the voice directed outside speaks about 1967."

Abu Marzouk:"We use one voice in all forums. But we also say that we are dealing realistically with the current phase - an independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty over the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. That is what we presented to our people in our election platform."

The interviewer:"Is this a partial or phased solution?"

Abu Marzouk confirmed,"Yes, it is a temporary and phased solution. This is not the permanent solution."

Granted the interview is a few days old but the failure of Secretary Rice's trip to the ME strengthened the hand of the radical outsiders. Note the speed with which the insider, the future PA Prime Minister Haneya denied reports that he promised to recognize Israel.

It appears that Hamas is about to accept an Iranian proposal and transform Hamas into another arm of Iranian foreign policy like the Hizbullah.

Abu Marzouk confirmed,"Yes, it is a temporary and phased solution. This is not the permanent solution."

The interview may be 10 days old but the speed with which the future PA Prime Minister Haneya denied reports that he intended to recognize Israel leads one to conclude that Hamas may choose to become a second Hizbullah, i.e., another Iranian hired gun.

It seems that Sunni Islamists are less than thrilled with this prospect. Indeed, if we read between the lines, the Muslim Brotherhood is offering to finance Hamas provided it accepts the legal obligations inherent in the Oslo agreements.

There are no good scenarios. If Iran turns nuclear, it will become the premier regional player. If it is stopped, Sunni Islamists would be empowered. You choose.