Bush Administration Counsels Carter Not to Meet With Hamas

[Purveyor]

The Bush administration says it has counseled former President Jimmy Carter against having a meeting with the head of the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Mr. Carter reportedly intends to meet Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal next week in the Syrian capital Damascus. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The State Department routinely helps facilitate meetings former U.S. presidents have with foreign leaders and other important figures.

But it has served notice that it will not provide any logistical help for Mr. Carter if he meets the Hamas chief, saying it would be against the interests of peace and undercut efforts to isolate Hamas, which the State Department lists as a terrorist organization.

--
Former President Carter, now 83 years old, has been active in international crisis mediation through his Atlanta-based Carter Center and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

His views on the Middle East attracted controversy last year with a book he wrote comparing Israeli policies in occupied Palestinian areas with those of apartheid-era South Africa.

--
Last November, a panel of foreign policy experts from past administrations including Republican Brent Scowcroft and Democrat Zbigniew Brzezinski said in a policy report before the Annapolis Middle East peace conference that genuine dialogue with Hamas is preferable to its isolation.

---EOE---

http://voanews.com/english/2008-04-10-voa42.cfm

[alarimer]

1. Are they afraid he will show them up?

Carter can conduct actual diplomacy, while this bunch is only interested in war.

[pansypoo53219]

2. they dare to say

counseled??? because condi has done such a goood job.

[shaniqua6392]

3. Go for it, President Carter!!!

At least he can get something started with diplomacy, which is a concept the Bush Administration has no clue about.

[damntexdem]

4. Jimmy is such a nice, old man.

What a shame that the Bushistas plan to send him to Gitmo!

Bringing peace is a terrorist activity in today's America.

[Staph]

5. I hope that the next President

(whoever he or she may be) will take advantage of President Carter's diplomatic abilities. As a matter of fact, I hope that he/she uses the skills of former President Clinton as well. He is still well loved in the world and could be of more use than globe-trotting with Bush 41 to look at tsunami damage.

[bdamomma]

6. Wow, diplomatic conversation instead of warfare what

a concept.

[madrchsod]

7. like jimmy could give a shit

no one is going to bother jimmy...unlike the other president that can`t go anywhere with out a small army