Posted on 04/17/2008 7:47:43 AM PDT by SJackson
Former United States president Jimmy Carter, who arrived in Israel Sunday, rejects the criticism he's been subjected to over his planned meeting with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal. According to Carter, peace cannot be achieved without talking to all the relevant people, and he will use the meeting to promote efforts to release Gilad Shalit and to uncover the fate of soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. Carter told Haaretz Sunday in an exclusive interview that he intends to check Meshal's willingness to accept the Arab League peace initiative. Carter says that acceptance of this plan by Hamas would be a very positive step.
Carter said ignoring a large segment of the Palestinian people would make it impossible to achieve peace.
Carter also said no one from the U.S. State Department had tried to dissuade him from holding the meetings, and that they were aware of his schedule.
"Before I went to Nepal, I put in a call for Condoleeza Rice just to have a personal conversation with her about my plans," Carter said. "I went over the entire itinerary. She could not take my call because she was traveling in Europe, so she asked David Welch, who is the assistant secretary of state. We had a 20-minute conversation, which was very pleasant, never a single negative word and not a single request that I modify my itinerary."
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT
..................
In fairness to the administration, Ha'aertz is as reliable as the Washington Post or NY Times, and I suspect mashs quotes when it benefits their liberal perspective. However if
"Before I went to Nepal, I put in a call for Condoleeza Rice just to have a personal conversation with her about my plans," Carter said. "I went over the entire itinerary. She could not take my call because she was traveling in Europe, so she asked David Welch, who is the assistant secretary of state. We had a 20-minute conversation, which was very pleasant, never a single negative word and not a single request that I modify my itinerary."
is accurate, Carter, though acting as a private citizen, was acting with the approval of the State Department. Under those circumstances, he's home free on issues like the Logan Act and providing expert advice or assistance to foreign terrorist groups.
Has this idiot ever had a lasting accomplishment? Except for screwing up our economy, giving away the Panama Canal, and best of all, giving us the Ayatolla in Iran? I almost forgot, got a bunch of men killed in that screwed up so called rescue mission.
Yes, while Reagan was able to repair the economy, I think it's fair to characterize both Panama, Iran and their role in emergence of Islamic terror as lasting accomplishments.
And he still keeps on contributing to his legacy. someone needs to put a net over the boy.
Jimmy Carter lying???? Perish the thought!
Apparently because we need a constant reminder why democrat and idiot are operationally, synonyms.
I wish he’d just go home and plant peanuts.
“According to Carter, peace cannot be achieved without talking to all the relevant people,....”
But wait a minute Jihad Jimmah!....You assume that someone who calls Jews Nazis is relevent? What the hell are you trying to do? Screw up the world like you screwed up when you were POTUS??
If I though it was Bush's fault I would have said that. What I did say is that if, and that's a big if, his trip was run by the State Department, then any discussion of his violating US law and/or travel restrictions goes out the window. Though a private citizen, his travel and itinerary were approved.
Clearly the administration could have said No, you cannot meet with Hamas, they’re a foreign terrorist group, contact is restricted under American law, and no, you cannot engage in negotiations with Hamas or anyone else, that’s barred under the Logan Act.
That would have been a principled response, consistent with American foreign policy and law, imo the proper response, but one that would have required a large dose of political courage.
That said, GWB can’t complain about the contact with Hamas or any harm it does, having passed on the opportunity to prevent it.
Carter seems to be oblivious to the fact that the American people are indignant at ALL that he thinks he has accomplished. Between Nancy Pilosi and Carter’s trips to places that the government would rather they not meddle in, it is outrageous to most of us.
The man simply doesn’t choose to remember the high interest rates, the long lines to purchase gasoline or his stupidity in foreign policy.
He is also the ONLY ex President that has openly criticized former and present presidents. He is socially inept.
Let’s hope we get lucky and the peanut man gets blown away by a Hamas missile.
No matter his talks with the Foggy Bottom boys between, Pelosi, and Carter etc....I thought we as a US policy do NOT speak with terrorists, Syria is a terrorist nation. Iran is a terrorist nation and Hamas are the worst of them all. Unless Carter can somehow get Hamas leadership to say Israel should be acknowledged as a people and as a nation then he has failed and his trip is just so much riff raff. No new news, no new revelations. Hamas or Abbas, Syria or Iran, or Saudi Arabia( there’s a US hypocrisy) they’re terrorists through and through and want every infidel dead, be they Jew or Gentile is they are not followers of allah the wee little mean god of islam.
Welch wasn't interested in Carter's itinerary, but I wonder how many times he asked about Carter's insanity.
Probably true, but it was his job to be concerned.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.