DAMASCUS, Syria, April 10, 2008
Jimmy Carter To Meet With Hamas Leader
Carter Center Would Only Confirm The Former President Was Traveling To The Middle East
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Former President Jimmy Carter (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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Interactive Mideast Conflict Events, key players and a history of the world's most unstable region.
The senior Hamas official in Syria told The Associated Press that Carter had sent an envoy to Damascus earlier, requesting a meeting with the militant group's officials, including exiled leader Khaled Mashaal.
Hamas "welcomed the request," said Mohammed Nazzal, who said the meeting would take place April 18.
Carter Center spokeswoman Deanna Congileo confirmed that Carter planned a trip to the Middle East at the end of the week but could not "confirm any specifics."
A press release from the center said the former Democratic president was to lead a study mission to Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan as part of his "ongoing effort to support peace, democracy, and human rights in the region."
The statement said the visit would take place from Sunday until April 21.
"This is a study mission, and our purpose is not to negotiate, but to support and provide momentum for current efforts to secure peace in the Middle East," said Carter, according to the statement. "Our delegation has considerable experience in the region, and we go there with an open mind and heart to listen and learn from all parties."
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In Washington, the State Department said it had advised Carter against meeting any representative of Hamas.U.S. government policy is that Hamas is a terrorist organization and we don't believe it is in the interest of our policy or in the interest of peace to have such a meeting.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack"U.S. government policy is that Hamas is a terrorist organization and we don't believe it is in the interest of our policy or in the interest of peace to have such a meeting," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
He said the message had been conveyed directly to Carter in a phone call during the past week by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch.
The Carter Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Carter-Mashaal meeting would be the first public contact in two years between a prominent American figure and Hamas officials. In 2006, the Rev. Jesse Jackson met Mashaal during a visit to Syria.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 86 CommentsPosted by j-whitman at 02:46 PM : Apr 12, 2008
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is that what why you support killing babies and sparing the life of criminals and terrorists at the same time???? NOW I GET IT
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watch what you say..osama bin laden might fire you
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to say ''what started terrorism" is a broad and complex question that has several factors..BUT I KNOW WHO SHOWED THESE ISLAMIC INSURGENTS THAT IT WORKS...
JIMMY CARTER
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this mound of sh*t we call middle east pre-dates condi and the bush administration..AS A MATTER OF FACT..WE WERE DOING PRETTY GOOD till MR CARTER SHOWED THE WORLD THAT LIBERALS DO NOT HAVE THE BALLS TO DEAL WITH TERRORISM
Posted by FloydZepp at 06:42 AM : Apr 12, 2008
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hilter said the same thing...okay so how do you like it? gassed or just bury them alive?
Good for Jimmie Carter! Condi-the-stupid is worthless unless she''s promoting oil deals. And she''s failed at that too, thank goodness, because Iraq is not buying their PSA agreements.
It''s time to step past the Neocon regime and let somebody that has an interest in peace start the peace process.
But I bet it never gets brought up in Congress or any liberal court.
Posted by j-whitman at 05:54 PM : Apr 11, 2008"
Don''t make me laugh. Nobel Prize? For WHAT? What Israeli peace? How many Camp David Peace Accords did he preside over, and how much terrorism did it stop? ZERO. He''s like Al Gore and his Nobel Prize. A feel-good award from a bunch of liberals patting themselves on the back for being so wise and intelligent, when they can''t even see their own noses on their faces.
Considering that he (carter) has secret service privledges, is he going to be protected during his visit?
Posted by Glock4me at 10:56 PM : Apr 11, 2008"
As I understand it, the Secret Service is constrained by the same laws governing visiting or meeting with terrorist organizations (which Carter is ignoring). They cannot go there with Carter when he meets with a terrorist leader. Besides, it''s an even bet Sysria won''t let any Secret Service members into their country in the first place,
However, you can bet he''ll have private security. No matter what he says publicly (unless he''s an utter moron) he knows he''ll be in a dangerous place.
Why doesn''t CBS mention the letter House Democrats sent to Carter, telling him to cancel the trip because ''it would lend an air of credibility'' to Hamas if he meets with their terror organization leader? Even the Democrats recognize what a fatal mistake for their party THAT would be.
Considering that he (carter) has secret service privledges, is he going to be protected during his visit?
If that''s the heart that Jimmy "lusted" in, he''d better not open it too much. Hamas has a pretty strict attitude about such things.
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See all 86 Comments