Opponents Of U.S. Gloat Over Fiscal Crisis

Mideast Hardliners Call Wall St. Meltdown Divine Retribution For U.S.'s Past Misdeeds Against Muslims Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas (pictured here in a 2007 file photo) said, "We are witnessing the collapse of the American Empire," given the financial crisis facing Wall Street and credit market. (AP) (AP) America's opponents in the Middle East are gloating over the financial meltdown in the United States, painting it as divine retribution for past misdeeds against Muslims and the last gasps of a dying empire. Hardline clerics across the region and groups like Hamas and al Qaeda took delight in America's financial woes even though it has not left the region unscathed, with stock markets across the Middle East dropping more than 10 percent last week. "We are witnessing the collapse of the American Empire," Hamas prime... [read full story]