Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — A former U.S. negotiator with Hamas has been mulled as
a leading Middle East adviser to the administration of President Barack
Obama.

Media reports asserted that Robert Malley was being positioned for
nomination of deputy assistant secretary of state for the administration.

Malley, proposed to help draft State Department policy on the Middle East, is said to have made a short list of Secretary of State John Kerry.

“We know that Malley has remained close to the White House throughout the first term and is vying for the job,” an former administration source said.

Malley, who has not confirmed the reports, has been serving as Middle East program director of the International Crisis Group. From 1998 to 2001,
he served as special assistant to then-President Bill Clinton for Arab-Israeli affairs.

In 2008, Malley was dismissed from the Obama campaign after he was
discovered to have been negotiating with Hamas, listed as a terrorist
organization by the State Department. Later, Malley also defended the
Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah, another group deemed terrorist.

“It is surprising that Kerry would pick such a high profile choice who
has been involved in so many controversies,” another source told the
Washington Free Beacon. “He’s been surprisingly slow to identify who his
[Middle East peace] team is going to be. It’s a surprising decision from
Kerry.”

The State Department has refused to confirm that Malley was being
considered for a senior post. In 2008, Obama aides said Malley would never
be considered for a job with the administration.

  Adviser being considered for State Dept. post said to be Hamas supporter, International Crisis Group, John Kerry, Robert Malley