February 11, 2009 3:06 PM

Jimmy Carter Draws Criticism From Condi

(AP)  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized former President Carter on Friday for his reported plans to meet the exiled leader of the militant Palestinian group Hamas during a visit to Syria.

Carter has not confirmed the plans to meet Khaled Mashaal, but Hamas has said the former Democratic president sent an envoy to Damascus requesting a meeting with the militant group's officials.

"I find it hard to understand what is going to be gained by having discussions with Hamas about peace when Hamas is, in fact, the impediment to peace," Rice said at a press event with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Rice was responding to a question about Carter's plans but did not mention him by name.

"Hamas is a terrorist organization," she said, repeating the Bush administration's explanation for why it will not meet with members of the group.

The State Department says it twice advised Carter against meeting any representative of Hamas. A Carter-Mashaal meeting would be the first public contact in two years between a prominent American figure and Hamas officials.

A press release from the Carter Center said the former 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."

Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work in mediating conflicts while in office and his humanitarian travels for the Carter Center since. One of his mediations was the 1978 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, for which Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Israel's Menachem Begin were awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize.

Several Democratic members of the House plan to forward a letter to Carter Monday urging him to reconsider his scheduled meeting with leaders of Hamas during his next visit to the Middle East. Reps. Artur Davis of Alabama, Shelley Berkley of Nevada, Adam Schiff of California and Adam Smith of Washington state asked Carter to drop the planned meeting.

The letter said "we believe that your efforts to forge peace in the region will be overshadowed by this meeting." It said Carter's meeting could "confer legitimacy" on a group that embraces violence.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 97 Comments
by gce65 April 15, 2008 1:44 AM EDT
Condi (aka Condyloma acuminata, or genital warts) has done nothing to further the peace process except drag her feet and buy fabulous outfits so she looks good in public. But watch out; she''s contagious!
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by libsrweak April 14, 2008 7:41 PM EDT
You are correct, of course. Britney does have some talent.

Regards,


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Nancy_Naive at 12:37 PM : Apr 14, 2008
+ report abuse


**********************

it takes a liberal to see talent from a person such as britney..HEY she IS living an ideal liberal lifestyle..a lifestyle where she can be as reckless as she wants to be and NOT ACCOUNTABLE (because she has a boohoohoo sob story).
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by usbrit-2009 April 14, 2008 7:30 PM EDT
Posted by REALITYCALLS

BTW forgot to point out in the last post - by the late ''30''s elections in Germany were about as freely democratic as they were under Saddam in the ''90''s.
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by usbrit-2009 April 14, 2008 7:29 PM EDT
Posted by REALITYCALLS

No Britney me - Brittany is the proper way to spell the name.

It is interesting to note that at the time of the "Cliveden set" the group to which I assume you refer, Cliveden, the mansion was owned by the Astor family, who I believe were Americans.
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by usbrit-2009 April 14, 2008 5:24 PM EDT
LibH8er et al -

What all you craphead righty-tighties need to get into your obviously fossilized brains is that Hamas is the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED government of Palestine. Just because you all don''t like the results of the elections (just as with Iran) does not make any less binding. The fact that our cretin-in-chief takes his toys back to the sand-box and pouts whenever anyone suggests he talks to a Hamas or Iran rep is a sad commentary on the US today. I realise it is hard for you eejits to understand but most of the rest of the world does not think the way you do.
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by ianlou April 14, 2008 5:21 PM EDT
I have to give President Carter credit for humbling himself, since his presidency, to the point that a mere Secretary of State appointed by a mental defect feels comfortable enough to openly criticize his actions.
I bet Jimmy doesn%u2019t mind.
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by trishab4 April 14, 2008 5:16 PM EDT
JERUSALEM - Israel%u2019s secret service has declined to assist U.S. agents guarding former U.S. President Jimmy Carter during a visit in which Israeli leaders have shunned him, U.S. sources told Reuters on Monday.

-Jimmy Carter: 1, Bush-Israeli Klan: 0

-Jimmy for V-P!
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by factsearcher April 14, 2008 2:49 PM EDT
Let me ask a very simple question to all americans.
Waht do you think is exchange when meeting with Hamas groups or any high officials of a country?
Do you think is something like: You must follow international rules or else you will be shamed publicly??? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
When nations meet with these groups they exchange the famous statement: What can you give me if I accept?
So, if it''s not weapons, it''s money or something in the form moeny.
Do you think we should exchange anything with such an outspoken group that denounces death to America and proves it by engaging in kidnappings, more deaths, training youngsters to bomb themselves in our embassies, our soldiers, our people???
Carter will NOT accomplish anything. But he does like the exposure. We are were we are among these terrorist groups because he denied entrance to the Shah into the US and Iran retaliated by kidnapping our diplomats from the embassy... people, there''s a long history of hate behind it. Do not fall in the news trap
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by usbrit-2009 April 14, 2008 2:40 PM EDT
That''''s like saying Albert Einstein drew criticism from Britney Spears... HAHAHAHA!!!

Posted by FloydZepp

Come on Floyd, I think comparing Condi to Britney a little below the belt - Condi''s not demostrably insane at least. On the usefulness to society side - maybe Paris Hilton though.
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by quetzal0666 April 14, 2008 1:58 PM EDT
JERUSALEM - Israel%u2019s secret service has declined to assist U.S. agents guarding former U.S. President Jimmy Carter during a visit in which Israeli leaders have shunned him, U.S. sources told Reuters on Monday. .......

If i had it my way, id not send any of my tax money to those bedwetting zionists too afraid of peace ,and too eager for war!!!!!
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